N Rhone Feast (Noizé): Deep purple colour - young seeming for its age. Something a bit rum about this - discussion of VA at the table. Suspect this was not a great bottle.
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My last bottle and no regrets in that sense. It's very fine afte an hour with ai, a tough almost lean vintage showing, but soon comes coffee, chocolate and tobacco. Tell tale iron notes as well, amazing depth here. No hurry, but certainky no sin to drink it either. #Bagnols-en-Fôret
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4 hour decant. Very firm on first sip after decanting. Classic Chave nose . Palate intense but balanced. Quite a firm year . Plenty of time but very very good now
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Allemand v Chave Los Angeles edition: Wildly different wine from the 1992 that was served by it. Really burly meaty and thick. Lots of olive and smoke on the nose and the palate had a coarse tannin and more tobacco driven notes with dark burly fruit. One to sit on for a bit longer
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The nose is surprisingly moderate, showing a bit less of the classic Chave truffle and smoke, palate is somewhat resolved, opens a little easy, then turns more savory, adding complexity as it airs. Quite beautiful.
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Allemand vs Chave (Kitchen Istanbul): Gorgeous nose with brine, smoked meat, pepper, violets, olives, and forest notes. Nice acidity with bright fruit, more cherries, pepper, and spices on the palate. Long finish. Fantastic wine with lovely complexity that has aged beautifully. The palate in particular is spectacular.
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Chave vs. Allemand (Kitchen Istanbul, SF): Tertiary nose with incredible intensity, mulch, olive brine, savory, violets, smoke; palate is medium bodied, savory, lovely intensity; long finish. This is spectacular, still improving. 97
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1996 Rhone and Burgundy (Bronte): classic flavours, pure essence of red berries, barely noticeable oak, refined soft spice, and a structure that is silky long and refined. absolutely delicious.
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from magnum. pristine fill and cork. abundant bouquet. more interesting than I can measure. deliberate acid structure meets the bistecca fiorentina more than halfway. such pretty wilted floral music, born on a broth of elegant mushroom and sweet stone. choral black roots and berries. a transparent respite from insidious expectations of sticky fruit.
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Very clean bottle. More black olive than scorched earth / smoke. A distinctive Chave perfume above the robust black and red fruit. A little big and punchy but beginning to show some elegance and finesse. 93- 94, see 12/18/20 note.
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Première fois avec un vieux Hermitage de Chave. Au nez j'étais sur du Pinot, petit fruits rouge, délicat, florale un peu de poivre avec une belle matière profonde. La bouche est similaire, en fraicheur, c'est savoureux, fin, belle finale agréable. un vin dans son sweet spot moins expressif que les deux cote-rotie side by side mais plus pure et en fraicheur.
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Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): From magnum. I've always been suspicious of this vintage because of a dodgy bottle (whose flaw I never identified) a few years ago. Yeah, not really rational. Anyway, this bottle was very different from that. An exuberant, explosive nose with generous red fruit and still some juiciness on the palate too. There's a little leather on the nose, giving this a slight animale note. Lighter in texture, in a more acid-driven style and a huge contrast to the 1997.
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*** Please read *** Ok this is now 2 days since we opened it and thought of it dull. Just left it in bottle with replacement cork and 2 days later the wine is definitely better. It’s not the expressive 1997 but is no longer dull. So the wine is in an awkward place and needs really a long devant. The fact that it shows little oxidation 2 days later means the wine is to be forgotten for a good 5yrs and forgiven for its current state. That is our plan of action for the other 3 we own.
Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): A wine that keeps on misfiring recently, muted and not expressive and definitely the outlier in the 90s line up of vintages that Chave has produced. We have left this in bottle overnight to observe over the next few days, maybe its in need of a much longer decant. Pont less to rate now.
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Similar mid to full ruby as the 99. Stylistically similar, but not quite in the same league as the 99, everything dialled back a little. Might have needed a bit more air as a bottle a couple of years ago was right up there after a two hour decant. ****
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Drinking very nicely. Fully mature, tell-tale notes of olives, hanged meat, some barnyard, minerals. Texture is smooth and elegant. No need to wait any longer, IMHO Xmaslunch#Chezmoi#PB
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Chave Hermitage Dinner (Greenwood - Highwood IL): Single blind in 98/97/96/95 flight. Charming and nicely mature aromas, but less harmonious on the palate. Lots here, as expected, but richer start, more tart finish. Probably limited upside, but certainly good now.
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Excellent ullage; healthy cork. Deep garnet color with some brown on the edges. Complex aromatics with some lovely funkiness that blew off and revealed hints of blueberries, blackberries, tar, and leather. Held together well over several hours after decanting. Lovely wine with years of bottle life ahead still.
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Not my best bottle of this, no flaws, just not as dramatically expressive with that signature Chave smoke, meats, and floral sweetness. Very good, but could have been brighter and had bigger projection off the nose.
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I came to this without any expectations and was very pleased to see it showing so well with a beautiful nose of ripe berries, sour cherry, smoke, and roast meat. Fullish and quite suave on the palate; lots of sap and nice length. 95-96 points
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Soft and elegant, secondary nuances and totally resolved tannins. My favorite against 04 and 11, but most of the table gravitated toward the youthful fruit of 11. To my taste, 11 is the wine to own for the next decade and 96 is the wine to drink right now.
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Another problematic 1996 bottle and definitely not a characteristic of a Chave Hermitage or for that of any Hermitage. More of a 2003 burnt feel on the fruit and frankly we are not sure if it’s a bad bottle or just a problematic vintage for JLC that means there is a lot of bottle variability.. or just a bad batch of bottles we have come across. No point to score but in the past we have had great bottles of the 1996 so frustrating to come across off bottles.
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[Blind] I called this Chave off the nose. The signature olive, scorched earth, acrylics, and red roses all wrapped up in a powerful but elegant bouquet was unmistakable. Absolutely glorious. Straddles that line between soil and cleanliness so well, overall clean and pure but with so much distinctive sense of earth. Texturally soft and silky but effortlessly delivers so much power. I love this wine. 94 - 95+
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Incredible nose of meat, blood and iron. Classic northern rhone. This was a step up over 1992. Wonderful.
For this 1996, it was as perfect as a Northern Rhone could be. That intoxicating nose of meat and blood, and a perfect accompaniment to any dish like lamb, game, or in our case, rib eye. The tannins are beautifully integrated and this is definitely in its peak drinking window. Medium to high acidity and low alcohol helps differentiate this verses new world Syrah, even those making in a Rhone style. It was in perfect balance and harmony. A stunning wine, and possibly my best Chave memory.
From SJW
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Decanted for about an hour; less concentrated than the last time we tried it but still pretty special and gaining weight as it gets air. Nose is so expressive; violets, blackberry kirsch, smokey bacon, mint, olive paste, hot rocks and cocoa. Palate is lighter-bodied but still full of verve with notes of red currant, burnt orange peel and green olives on the medium-long finish. Tannins are fully integrated and the acidity is fresh and racy. So delicious; an absolute joy to drink.
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Really nice and drinking well. Signature Chave style and flavors, especially with a bit of air. Not the best vintage, less ripe than the best vintages. The pedigree is evident. Drank from magnum, and not fading at all. Double decanted and recorked, then drank three hours later over two more hours.
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PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass ("Root" day): Medium garnet to the eyes.
Savoury, earthy, black olives, undergrowth, dried herbs like bay leaves, herbal tea leaves, mature red plummy fruits in the background, very faint hints of VA. To me this seems fully mature.
Good balance: Quite highly acidic but fine boned, with some VAs that is still enveloped in its rich secondary flavours driven palate, medium bodied, satiny tannins. Slightly spicy, but very nice mellow finish that is quite long indeed.
Probably not the most glorious example of this cuvee, but certainly quite an approachable and balanced one. One should not hesitate to uncork now rather than later. 93-94 points.
1 hour upon opening, a little more than 2/3 left: More liquorice, fresh herbs and faint hints of chocolate and black peppery notes that is more classic to this cuvee. On the fruits more red prunes too.
5.5 hours upon opening, 1/4 left: Very much peaking in my view with more animale notes, and mature dates and prunes.
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This bottle is still solidly in its window. However, it may be slightly corked. The score should be 91 but I clicked “flawed” to be fair...
Ruby with a significant level of browning, the wine is satiny, with a lovely clarity. On the nose, red currents, beeswax, and a mushroom/loam aroma that perhaps is a bit too insistent (I wondered about TCA, and the cork is not in ideal shape, yet it doesn’t taste corked, so I’ll just chalk it up as reduction). Tart and yet with vivid fruit, again red currents, and a very long mineral finish. Outstanding wine, but definitely time to drink it!
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Wraysbury dinner (Home): Double decanted 2hrs. When opened this was mid ruby, all zingy raspberry fruit and brightness. Fills out, and becomes more serious in the decanter. Lovely raspberry fruit alongside something darker, a touch of smoke, bacon and a meaty element. So elegant despite its stature. Lovely. Not top Chave but not far off on this bottle’s showing. ****1/2
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Drank over two days. Barnyard nose evolved to forest floor. Rich and deep wine, with wet leaves, mushroom and earth to taste. Not much fruit at all. Long finish though a bit sour which to some was a benefit and to others a detriment.
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A Whole Lotta Chave Hermitage (Single Blind) (Chez Kailin): 96/97/98/99/Ringer Flight. Beautiful nose of dried meat that is laced with intense smoke, olive and meat. Palate is so savory with moderate concentration. Great complexity. My #2, Group #1. Shows that lesser vintages can perform especially when you time them right. More ready than a greater vintage from the same era, like 98 for example.
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This was beautiful; nose with dark fruit, olive brine, black tea, smoked meat, violet, stony earth, and a bit of spice. The palate was silky with mostly resolved tannins and juicy acidity. The fruit and savory notes transfer well and this really feels Burgundian as it opens. Decanted 15 minutes prior to dinner, open 1 hour before. No rush, as this seems to have several years of enjoyable drinking ahead.
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Dinner with Maggie Harrison (Formentos - Chicago, IL): Fascinating comparison with the 1998 in the same flight. The table was split on preference. I slightly preferred the 1998 as it seemed broader and more complete. This had a gorgeously evolved nose with plenty of meat and olive, with slightly less rich fruit than the 98. The palate also had more energy and verve with slightly less fruit weight than the 98. Gorgeous on its own right, and further evidence on why Chave is my favorite Syrah in the world.
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Still very fresh and somewhat of a smokey bandit, very linear and balanced, a bit rustic, black fruit galore, tobacco, meat pepper, a very fine Hermitage - and a great 1996 at that. #Struktur
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Pretty evolved and sporting a half glass of fine grained sediment so be sure to stand this up for a while before opening. The nose is beautiful and has a feral component that’s really appealing. Fully resolved tannins, dark fruit that’s starting to veer towards raisinated, good balance and tension. Probably on the decline unless you like them really funky and tertiary.
Wine meet – Hermitage @ Lars: I have had better bottles of this wine before. Still good and very Chave. Smoky earthy notes and bright acidity. In itself a nice wine but run over by a fantastic Chapoutier l’Ermite from the same vintage.
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The 1996 has always been the problem child of the 90s Chaves for us. We have had some great bottles that we rated 96 and quite a few off ones. This one was in the middle, a beautiful wine but not to the level that the pedigree and price that it commands. Especially next to its brother from 1997 ( Papies 95) this was a bit lacking of charm and had a drying feeling on the finish. Still though, the aromatics were there albeit less expressive than the 1997, soft smoky edge, herbs, inky, blood/iron touches. On the palate it was just a bit dry and with a few sharp edges but still a good 93.
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Decanted for about an hour. Paired very well with mushroom risotto. Still showing well; probably could survive another couple years.
Sight: A thin darkness, some brown on the edges. Nose: dusty, moldy, beets, rotting pepper, mushrooms, dark flowers. Taste: tannic, dried cherries, cranberry, some cedar / cherry pit, plum tomato.
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Deep garnet in color with slight bricking edge. Nose of dark berries and graphite. Tastes of dark cherries, iron, and hints of black pepper. Lovely mouthfeel and impressive fruit for 22 years. Not likely to improve but not going anywhere over the next 5 years. Drink over next 5-10 years.
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Not a bad Saturday afternoon: By this point in the day, my note taking was starting to suffer, but this was one of the wines of the day. Minty brambly fruit with lovely complexity and balance and the ineffable class that distinguishes the estate.
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Tasted a tiny pour at Noreetuh in NYC; sick. Nose of violets and roses with hints of tobacco, palate was smokier version of the nose. So elegant and delicious. Now I know what all the hype is about—a truly special wine.
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This bottle was slightly corked. Not so much that you could not drink it, and it did improve with air, but none of the beautiful fruit or full body of a Hermitage. Hoping my other bottles will not be the same.
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Cloudier than expected, like squashed mulberry milk. Drinking like it should, definitely aged hermitage. Raisin metallic bronze though youthfully juicy in the middle. Well made and ageing well but could have more personality though.
Coravin by the glass at Hambleton Hall, pre Michelin star dinner ... warming me up.
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Unfortunately this bottle was riddled with volatile acidity that took 60 minutes to even somewhat blow away. None of the hallmark Chave or Northern Rhône aromatics at all. The palate was intact and was surprisingly delicate, but without the terrific nose this bottle was at half strength at best. Very disappointing.
50th Birthday Dinner (Classic Wine Storage, Dallas, TX): Brought by Meredith. Impressions. Decanted for about 30 min. Smoky grilled meats, dark berries, olives, bacon, herbs, earth. Nicely balanced. Excellent weight without being heavy. Complex and beautiful.
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Acker Auction & Commanderie des Costes du Rhone (Zuma & Racines): Interesting to try this next to the '89. I think of Chave as the pure animalistic wine, but this isn't really that. It's more fruit and saddle leather. A bit less intense and a bit more muted. Can get the cleanness that some talk about in this wine.
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Serious Syrah. Meaty and secondary and starting to coming in to a great face. Not sure if it has enough stuffing/fruit to last very long. Liked it a lot at this stage where the fruit is still holding pole position. Dark sour berries, meat juice, some mushroom and forest floor. Firm tannins.
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Dinner with Jean-Louis Chave (Gwen - Loa Angeles CA): Dense and powerful, this shows the lean/ granite aspects of Chave Hermitage vs the forward/ clay aspects. Meaty, powerful, firm. I am optimistic regarding where this will evolve.
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Dinner with Jean-Louis Chave (Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco): Light mushroom/truffle nose, elegant sweet fruit, excellent acidity, mild tannins, very burgundian weight with nice intensity of bright sweet fruit, lasting finish with hints of savory notes.
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Dinner with Jean Louis Chave (Heirloom cafe): Highly aromatic, complex, red fruit, meaty, gamey, bacon, truffle; palate is medium-bodied, high acid, balanced red fruit, tertiary mulch notes; lovely long finish with elegance, still remaining fruit, excellent acidity, lovely finish. A superb Hermitage, balanced, mature, elegant, and showing really well tonight. 95
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Another poor bottle here ( this time from a new batch) which really broke our heart. This wine when good (like a few months ago) is an easy 96 but we have had so far 3 bad and 1 superb bottles. If we adjust for the cost maybe better we bought one bottle of Petrus... painful.
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Totally Hermitage. Totally definitive. Totally Chave. Maybe not the density of some of the adjacent vintages, but, this is perfectly correct and everything textbook Hermitage. Sauvage, brilliant fruit, perfect balance.
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Last bootle out of six and drunk over several years and struggle to see the positive sides continue to develop now, however there are no signs of the wine going downhill either. Very much Chave on the nose, balanced and long finish. Subtle, elegant and full bodied. Very much different from the best vintages of the nineties - yet the footprint of Chave is there.
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Chave Hermitage & Brisket (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): In 95/96/97 vertical. Slightly reductive start. Mature black cherry with olive, black pepper and subtle spice. Good+ weight and length. Subtle, elegant, probably at its peak now.
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Chave & Brisket (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Served in a flight of 95/96/97, and unfortunately for this bottle is was sandwiched between two epic bottles of Chave. The 1996 has appealing rich and meaty black fruit aromas with olive notes -- but not the intensity or detailing of the 95 or sheer power of the 97. The palate has delicious, savory black fruit and bright, lifting acidity. Excellent but not as layered or complex as its flight-mates.
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Our last bottle of this 5 month sago we rated 96. This was no where near and albeit not flawed felt a bit like a great singer who had the cold. Muted and reserved without that singing nose and expressive palate. Shame but hopefully our other bottles will be better!
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Preceded a 2010 Chave L’Hermitage. Showed what the wine can do. 2010 was definitely a better year, and that wine was a powerhouse, but this was quite good. Resolved, but could hold a few more years.
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Steak House Terroir (Leiden , NL): Appealing weigth with dried cherry and raspberry with elegance, vivacious acidity and mineral strength, a Burgundian take on Hermitage.
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Leiden dinner at Terroir: Mature Hermitage, drinking wonderfully considering this is more than 20 years old. Lovely nose with spice and sous bois. Taste red and dark fruit, fresh, lovely acidity, balanced, long finish. Still appears young. Really very fine Hermitage.
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Tasted blind.Uninteresting wine,annihilated by the night's other wines.The fruit is disappointing and the secondary development is very poor.Decent,but lacking in any wow factor ! Not worth the money.
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Consistent with last bottle. Very good. In a strong line up this was pretty much the show stopper. Classic Chave rustic flavors. I could smell this wine all night long. Campfire, smokey gamey, grilled meats, charcoal and ash. Incredible complexity and detail.
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Saturday night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): After a misfiring bottle when we tried this last, this was the master class of a wine we expected. Simply amazing would do for a tasting note. Roast meat, earthy, dark fruits, light spice on the nose. An amazing nose so complex and elegant. On the palate it is very much alive albeit with soft and silky tannin and this wine is really not far from perfect. It just needed a bit more fruit. Superb still . 96
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Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): Something was not quite right with the bottle, though everyone agreed it wasn't corked. Seemed a little tired, very green, and thin, and lacking the characteristic Chave polish.
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Fully mature bottle drinking perfectly. Popped and poured. The nose leaps from the glass with serious spice notes, garrigue, cinnamon, sous bois, campfire and classic Chave rusticity. Decent acidity and structure left in this but think the window is now. Dont see further improvement but no decline. Really pleasurable tonight.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dark crimson core with large brick rim; currants, age, brick, leather, plush, red fruit, clay, iron, smoke, roasted meat, cooked tomato; plush tannin, cooked cherry and tomato, granite, iodine, beautifully aged, good power and balance, soft tannin, fresh acid; delicious, was in Cote Rotie based on the lighter nature and granite coming through.
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A misfiring Chave or a bottle issue (No flaw of any kind detected to be exact). Decanted for a good hour in hope of getting some development but the wine never responded and never delivered. Even the humble 94 (Papies 94-95) delivered but this 96 was dormant. Similar to the 96 Chapourier Ermite so maybe a vintage issue? or just our luck. Goof fruit and healthy wine but no magic here. Will refrain comments and rating for the next bottle. felt like a 90-91 on the day
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Two Chave birthdays (Portland): A still somewhat reserved Chave Hermitage. Has the mixture of richness and purity I like in these wines, but less forward attraction than, for example, the 1997. Hints of spice on top of deep fruit with refined structure. A Burgundian styled wine. Tannins mostly resolved. Superb dinner wine. One hour decant was helpful.
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sublimely elegant. Gave it a 1.5hr decant. Stunning nose. Red Fruit, olive, game, leather. Full tannin resolution at this point. Graceful is what sums this up in one word.
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Color: medium-deep ruby core -> garnet/bricked rim. After less than thrilling notes on the '95 & '97 (though the '97 was still pretty nice), I have to say that this is more like it! Fabulous bouquet on PnP that strengthened to a plateau at about 60+ minutes. The usual 80's Chave suspects here: leather, bacon fat, roasted game meat, iodine & iron, woodsmoke and a bit of that old barnyard. Great, medium-bodied palate showing poise, balance and presence: blackberries and black cherries along with herbs de Provence, leather, roasted meat, etc. etc. (see: bouquet). Just a lovely, harmonious wine that has kept its intensity yet still comes across as elegant. In a wonderful place now; great acid level and structure with a medium-long finish. Drink now and over the next 3-5 years . . . and I would suggest enjoying by itself rather than diluting the magic with food. Now THIS is what I hope for when I open a mature Chave ! ! !
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Ruby. Iron, roast meat, leather, and stewed plums are some of the aromas that pour from the glass. The earthy and meaty notes are quite alluring but the stewed plum detracts from the freshness. Tannins are fully resolved, not unexpected given the vintage. The 1996 Hermitage is probably at its peak but should provide several more years of good drinking.
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15 vintages of Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rouge and Blanc (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Some funky notes, showing more maturity here. Quite nice and lovely. The palate is rich and soft, again with some older notes. There's also a nice candied fruit present to counter balance that, almost like banana flavored sweet tarts. This is coupled with those older notes of a dusty book. Overall though, this shows itself quite integrated. Puckering and not as expressive on the finish. There is a bloom of richness and acid that comes a few seconds after swallowing, but again, not as vibrant as it should be. This bottle didn't show as fresh as the bottle I noted two years ago.
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It has been a while since I last had this vintage, this bottle had an opaque core and deep red color, the nose was quite expressive dominated by black fruits laced with leather, spice and bacon fat. The palate was fuller bodied than I remember, the fruit was a little sour almost like cranberries, smooth tannins, nice body, structure and finish. Still quite youthful with many years to go.
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Fine-Wine Winter Dinner (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Stunning purity on the nose - beautiful perfume with refined smoke and hung meat aspects. In the mouth, this is lean and slightly angular but with intense poise and focus. It was a good, but not great match with an 11 Madison Park recipe for Guinea Fowl, Parsnips and Oats, as the rich recipe demands a rounder wine (which the 2001 La Chapelle offered a month ago). The wine is absolutely outstanding and is showing very little development and promises to age and transform in a positive manner for 20 more years, although it will always be a leaner, more "Burgundian" style of Hermitage, in this vintage.
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Smokey, meaty, earthy, dark fruits and bacon scents but still with the very typical Chave burgundian balance. It drinks very well now and is approaching maturity but still with ample life. We enjoyed it a lot.
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4hr decant. My tasting notes seem to vary every time. Dark, concentrated glyceriny bramble/blackberry fruit with hints of strappy leather and earth. Medium to full-bodied with decent length and the impression of imminent maturity. Excellent - but I can't help feeling that I expect even more from this already fine wine. Interested to see where this is next year - its main asset is that (some) time, in spite of all my variable notes, almost certainly remains on its side. Perhaps I should just enjoy the roller-coaster experience.
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Better on the earthy, red dark berry and spicy nose than on the medium bodied, slightly tart, firm palate. Air might improve this wine, but I doubt it.
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Clear medium ruby with moderate bricking appropriate for age, very nice color; nose is moderately aromatic, earth, granite, red berries, slight chewy licorice, slight roasted red peppers; palate is full bodied, medium-plus acid that keeps the wine clean and fresh throughout, medium very well-integrated tannins, red fruit throughout; finish is medium-long. This is excellent, well balanced, complex, but at the moment lacks the intensity and charm on the nose that I've gotten from other vintages, and it could use just a bit more depth of fruit on the palate. It does seem like it will open up over the next hour or two. Drinking well now, 92-93. 1 hour air: It is opening up compared to when it was first tasted. More spice on the nose, a bit more aromatic; palate has definitely fleshed out with a bit more black fruit that gives it more character. Still not an "oh wow" wine like a few other vintages that I've had, but superb nonetheless. Surprisingly elegant, and may actually improve over the next decade though it is excellent now... 93-94 Next hour: Continues to be more fleshed out and to improve in density and complexity. Give this an hour or two of air and then drink over hours to get the full evolution.
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Very good place right now. Tannins well integrated and benefitt d from decanting for an hour or so. The longer it was open the better it got. Fruit still very present.
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Nose performs well for the first couple of hours with dark berries, sweet spice and dark earth. But the palate never lives up to that opening. Somewhat dry and low acid, this wine displays ample ripe fruit and dark savory spice initially but does not have substantial depth. Enjoyable but will not improve and ultimately a wine confined by its vintage. Decanted 90 minutes, consumed over the following two hours. In order to pressure test recent experiences, this was a bottle from a separate but known cellar with good conditions, but the results were largely the same.
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Medium ruby, with a lovely nose: floral, then cranberry and red current fruit, waxy overtones. But the somewhat dry tannins are at the edge over overwhelming the fruit, giving the sense of a wine that perhaps should have been consumed younger! Still, the nose is lovely and the wine remains very enjoyable even if a tiny bit austere on the finish.
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This is a dense, dark, young Chave that lacks the charm of some of the other vintages but gained in the glass with flavors of charcoal minerals, char and dark spices. Concentrated and complex on the finish and could still improve . 93+
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A finicky nose with dry cardboard, black olive, underlying spice and hidden fruit. This wine has consistently underperformed on the palate for me. This bottle was flat, empty and bitter on the finish. Better with food (lamb shoulder) than without. This bottle fell slightly short of other recent experiences.
Highlights from Thierry's pre-tour dinner: The nose here expressed bright, red fruits, also tobacco, earth, old leather and a little oxidised iron. There was also a strong suggestion of old plums. The entry to the palate was rich and sweet. The delicacy and weight took several of us (briefly) away from the Rhone to Burgundy, as did the lovely acidity, but Thierry brought us back. There was no black or white pepper component to bouquet or palate. Once we were certain of Syrah, the producer was obvious. Finessed and refined with a silky texture and ultra-fine grained tannins. Flavours of bright red fruit and dark earth. Not a big scaled vintage, but I very much liked this Chave. Drinking well now. I don't think it's a Chave for the ages, drink in the next 10 years or so.
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This was a late PnP bonus btl coming after dinner and after the 01. Huge layered, Northern Rhone nose! Even as PnP the nose was stunning and the palate classic NR red fruit, pepper, leather, tar you name it. This btl kind of pushed the two wonderful 01's aside. Would have liked to have one more food course to go with it. Tannins mostly resolved but would have completely disappeared with food. Not complaining though as this was an awesome wine and WOTN for me. This btl showed just how much more interesting this wine gets with an addl 5yrs btl age than the 2001. These really are 15yr + wine and probably best at 20yrs out+. What a great opportunity to taste the 01 and 96 almost side by side.
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Brett and indistinct on opening but the class and quality rachets up as it's exposed to air, more and more minerality is apparent as it opens. A "wow" wine.
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Wow, what a nose! Complex and meaty aromas of iron, red/dark fruits, and smoke were jumping from the glass. Medium bodied, with a suave, silky texture. This wine kept evolving and and got more layered as it sat in the glass. Combining power and grace, this is fully mature and should cruise for many more years.
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Consistent with my recent experiences with the 94 and 96, this bottle exhibited a nose superior to the palate. Sweet spice, red fruit, light chalkiness and dustiness, and faint black pepper on the nose. The palate is on a downward slope and while still enjoyable fades with time and is not as rich as it once was.
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An elegant, burgundian Chave. Light bodied, but highly aromatic in the grilled meat and bacon fat way that it should be. Not for those that want to be wowed by power, but otherwise, a very good wine.
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P n' P. Deep ruby with slight bricking. Complex and broad bouquet of raspberries, cherries, herbs and smoked meats. Palate is equally broad, with small red berries and a slight stoniness. Elegant and long. A truly distinguished and distinctly "old-world" wine in a great spot now.
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To me this is mature now. No rush, but it is really in a nice state at the moment. Not the best vintage, but still - this is drinking very well now. A few hours of air in advance does nothing but good to the wine.
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16 vintages of Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rouge and Blanc (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Richly acidic smelling. Tart aromas but lusciously smooth. Quite pretty. Very very smooth palate entry. Lush and decadent, showing tart but beautiful fruit notes. Very wonderfully balanced on the palate. Tart, rich tartness on thee finish. Really beautifully smooth and integrated. The prettiest one yet.
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Tasted twice: when I opened and decanted it 6 hours before the dinner and then at the "Rhone Wine Tasting" and dinner at Bistro Provence, Bethesda: First taste: Medium carmine Red, turning chestnut at the rim. Soft on the nose, a bit of tar, tart cherries and acidity. On palate first very soft and subdued then intensity increases and the wine shows a good tannin structure. Overall nice and pleasant but not great. A tired, graceful aristocrat.. Tasting it in the evening: A vegetal nose and a bit thin. Still some refinement about it but nothing to excite the senses. probably had it open for too long! I guess 2 hours would have been ample.
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(Only) a 5 hour decant. Some of the acidity of my first note had returned, albeit without the volatility; the overall (still excellent) impression remains however and otherwise my second note applies. I have little doubt that 6 hours is the bare minimum decanting time to get the best out of this extraordinary wine.
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New Year's Eve dinner. Using CellarTracker members' combined experience gave this a very long 6 hour decant. This transformed the wine from the somewhat unfocused and volatile 90 of my previous note to wine of the evening status (I exclude the '54 Terrantez from the competition!). Concentrated, almost sweet hedge fruit nuances were encapsulated in a perfectly integrated cedary frame. The pronounced acidity of the earlier note had completely disappeared and now was in the right balance to complement the fruit. Only a slight earthiness often associated in my experience with hermitage prevented confusion with a fine burgundy such was the elegance of this wine. Top notch accompaniment for a platter of finest English cheeses.
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This elegantly styled Hermitage is open and ready for business. Soft, medium bodied, mature and delivering all of its fresh, spicy red berries and earth, this is not a Chave for long term aging. I liked the wine, but it clearly lacks the weight and density of the better vintages.
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Again, starts muted and needs time to reveal the inner quality. At first acidity only, while the fruit enters with time and air makes a balanced wine with a long finish backed by a great acidity. A classic Chave that I would expect will develop greatly still. No shame drinking these now with some air in advance, I'll save a few for the future.
This bottle shows as a bit more mature than a bottle one year ago.
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Bearserkerfest Night 2-Chave Table (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago IL): Nose: Absolutely loaded and deep with layered tones of black cherries, leather, roasted meats, loads of black pepper, earth tones, and some spices. This has some real power to it, but it also seems like it's slightly holding back.
Taste Full bodied with medium+ acidity and some youthful tannins. This is deep and layered with great tones of roasted meats, black cherries, black pepper, earth, and black olives.
Overall: While this was drinking great, it feels like it can get better. This was a special wine and one of the better Chaves on display.
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(Mostly) Northern Rhone Night (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Overall a beautiful wine that was drinking very well. The biggest thing for me here was its balance. The fruit was appropriately rich and and lush, but the earthy and meaty notes really gave it a sense of place. Acidity on the finish kept it fresh and lively. Yum.
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Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity and some chewy tannins. There is very good balance with deep and layered tones of black fruits, black cherries, crushed rocks, and black olives.
Overall: There is a lot of class to this. It's showing really well on both the nose and palate with some real good layering as well. This is a spot on Chave and is a beautiful wine.
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Not as vividly smoky and meaty as the last bottle I had; this comes across a little more youthful with the fruit a bit richer and more intense, but showing the same refinement, finesse and depth. Lovely wine that only suffered in comparison with the Allemand that was poured beside it.
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Remarkable instant bramble fruit nose on pulling cork and decanting, which just as rapidly closed up. Decanted 2 hours beforehand and redecanted 30 minutes before first proper glass. Secondary decanting necessary in attempt to ameliorate a very volatile acidity as well as to bring out some fruit character. Slight rim in glass bricking down into a deep ruby core. Aroma of earthy, smokey hedge fruits and spice. Acidity still strong in the backbone but under control. Core flavours of blackberry, ground pepper with maquis herb notes. Every glass poured varied suggesting this wine, undoubtedly well structured, needs time to decide its destiny. 90 today, could be 93+ if evolution is kind. Will open next bottle in 2014 and report (hopefully) progress.
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Classic Chave aromatics; that vivid smokiness, meatiness, red fruits and black olives all coming together into one amazing fragrance. This just kept getting better to smell over the course of the evening, and it tastes pretty fantastic as well, a little lighter on its feet than what I usually expect from Chave with the acidity quite prominent, but beautifully balanced with striking length and a sense of real finesse and polish.
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Wednesday, for real this time... (Andrew's House): Double decanted at around noon, placed back in storage at 50F for 8 hours. Opaque purple in the glass, and a little cloudy. Certainly not as reticent as some of the tasting notes here suggest, showing a gorgeous nose of red currants, plum, blackberry spice, earth, dried tobacco, smoke and olive brine. This was much darker in character than any other Chave Hermitage that I've tried. On the palate, some light drying tannin on the moderate finish, but drinking quite well, with a lively streak of acidity. Not the most expressive and complex Chave, but really showing well for the vintage.
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Dark red color with smoky tints and near opaque density. Aromas of black olive, meat, leather, cherry, plum, and licorice. On the palate, this is shows red fruit, meat, licorice, and some olive notes, but is ultimately not fully ready for my tastes. The finish is long and slightly tannic. Good now, but better later in my book. Hold.
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A birthday dinner for Suzanne at Christine's. (Christine's.): This wine has gone through a wonderful transformation in the past couple of years, as exhibited by this and two or so other bottles I've had in that time. I've always considered '96 a bit problematic due to the acidity which always stuck out a bit too much, seemingly like a poke in the eye. However, recent showings have seen that acid edge soften and integrate, allowing the fruit and other components to shine through more freely, while the freshness and lithe character still remain. Such is the case with this bottle, which is perhaps the most integrated and expansive bottle I've had. Crunchy cherry fruit with meat, blood, herbs and spices and, with air, the aroma of violets filled the air. The wine just dances across the palate. No rush here, but it's really hitting its peak drinking window now, imo. Solid A-.
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Talk about being everything La Chapelle 96 is not! Wht a wine!
Deep red colour, hints of brick on the rim. Starts out muted, adds complexity with time, and goes from state to state. Ends up with some plums, some chocolate, tee, hints of nicely integrated oak and a lingering tone of cool red berries. Complex, soft tannins and suberb acidity. Finish long lasting!
Entering a mature state, will keep for a long time still. Start to enjoy! (make sure to give the wine some air in advance)
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The nose showed sweet floral notes, black tea, stony minerals, earth, black pepper and a hint of parchment. On the palate, it was velvety and savory with excellent balance showing sour berries, black soil, bell pepper and leather. The finish was beautifully smooth and lasting.
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Still very, very young. Decanted 2 hours prior to trying. Nose rather muted. Eventually coaxed some dark fruit after 4 or 5 hours. I'll let my last bottle sit another 5-6 years at least.
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Rhone dinner (semi blind) (Amsterdam Dufay): Aged brick colour. Cedar and cigar box tones in the nose, even ash more than cigar. Very powerful palate that seems much younger than colour shows, VERY elegant and typical Chave. Meat and herbs tones and whiff of tangerine, tobacco tones in the aftertaste.
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Dinner at home with my wife Marilena and my friends George and Vanghelis. J.L. Chave is my favorite producer of Hermitage. Every year produces legendary wines. This vintage is not an exception. Ruby in color with a brick rim. The nose is elegant and full of cassis, grandma room, camphor and violets. Medium bodied with refreshing acidity and flavors of roasted meats, tar, iodine, black fruits, plums, tobacco and spices (different kinds of pepper). When consumed with french cheeses, (as Chaumes or Brie), reveals scents and flavors of bee-wax and honey. Long and discreet finish. Ready to drink now, but can wait in cellar at least one decade!
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This wine was not firing on all cylinders, it seemed adolescent and tempermental over the few hours I had it in a decanter. Still fruit driven without the floral iodine that mature Chave always seems to have... texturally with high acidity, a firmish midpalate, unresolved tannins that are certainly not overbearing. Balanced wine with good length, great intensity, ok complexity... finesse to burn in there, firm but fine texture, great expression of place. While I would agree this in not great Chave, it is far, far from being anywhere near its peak if the bottle is in good shape. Put this away for 3-7 and see where it goes next... barely outstanding wine tonight with tons of upside.
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Chave Dinner (Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco): A tad lighter than the '98. Gamier and less smoky than that wine. Lighter, more open and resolved, less fruit and more forest floor tones. High acidity makes this a terrific accompaniment for food, but it is fully mature and fading, as opposed to the very young '98.
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i don't appreciate the path this is on. comes off rustic and blunt. i presume others see this as closed, possessing great structure and potential. i predict it's always too angular for my palate.
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G6 (Kevin): Dark garnet color. Blackberry and charred oak nose. Tastes of blackberry, black pepper, cherry, and earth. Very well balanced. Medium bodied. Fine grained tannins. Long elegant finish. 13% alcohol.
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From an excellent looking bottle purchased upon release, this wine had a fair amount of sediment. It had a deep garnet center with light purple/tan rims. The nose was a bit funky at first but came around nicely after about 2 hours of air to show classic syrah beef blood, iodine, violets, and some provencal herbs.
In the mouth the wine was round with nice flavors that echoed the nose. The tannins were largely resolved but the acidity was strong, making it a nice food wine. While attractive, it was a bit thin and lacked the ripeness and intensity of a great year. It had a nice finish and required 4 hours of air to be at its best. A nice wine but a doubt it will improve morph into a superstar.
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Wow, Hermitage rarely smells as unmitigatedly beautiful as this; it is remarkably refined, extremely elegant and stupefyingly sophisticated. The fruit it shows is mellow with mature softness, but does not seem in the slightest bit tiring or shagged-out – plenty of life here. The extreme perfumed beauty this exudes makes me want to revel in the nose for hours, but I’ve got to know if the palate lives up to this sensual gorgeousness or if it suffers from ’1996 syndrome’. Hooray! Whilst the acid is certainly vivacious, it is far from being extreme or over-whelming, rather balanced in fact. And it is a gloriously balanced, ravishingly attractive palate of total rapture. It has plenty of fruit, slightly mature in character, and an utterly silky tannic structure with stunning persistence of these complex favours on the finish. Certainly mature, but absolutely no rush to drink this elaborate entity of bewitching brilliance.
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Intense, developed aromatics, more floral and feminine than smoky and leathery. A bit less generous on the palate, especially away from food. Marked more by acidity than tannin at this point in its evolution. The acids may soften and integrate a bit more thoroughly with time, but I would keep an eye on this one.
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The components are all there, and it is quite obvious that this is a brilliantly made wine, but it's just painfully young. If you must open it, decent for 6 hours or more, at least. The nose changes in the glass over the course of 30-45 minutes (or as long as you can keep it in there), showing alternating components of fruit, leather, meat, pepper, spice. The palate is tight, as is the nose, but even at this young stage, the finish is long and graceful.
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TN: Weird and wacky wines at Joe's (Joe's): Like the last bottle I had, it's extremely aromatic. Sasha said he double decanted it a couple of hours before we drank it. The usual suspects are present. Raspberry and cherry fruit, beef blood, some herbalness and spice. The acidity still remains higher than normal, but it's been integrating nicely the last couple of bottles I've had. Fresh, vibrant, focused and yummy. A-.
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Duck Dinner; 11/5/2009-11/6/2009 (Peter Pratt's Inn): I knew what this wine was, as the person who brought it revealed what he intended to bring last week. It was a big and meaty wine, very deep and full bodied. Still just a baby I think too. It opened wonderfully with air time. It had a slight salinity on the finish that was a bit odd, but it lessened with time in the glass. A very nice wine.
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Relatively inexpensive - for Chave, anyway - I guess because it's reputed to be an off-vintage, but there's nothing off about the wine, which is pure Chave Hermitage in every way. Though still a vibrant ruby color it's entered its delicious post-fruit phase of life where the dominant flavor is that inexplicable thing that's distinguished all the Chaves I've had for awhile - meaty but not the bacon-fat of Northern Rhone cliche; instead it's more of a dry-aged succulence combined with a rusty minerality. The absence of fruit should not be mistaken for an absence of material, however, as this is still dense (and packed with character). To be sure, at first it seemed too tannic, which made me wonder whether the vintage was one never destined to come into complete balance, but as it aired out (and, perhaps more importantly, warmed up), come into complete balance it did - totally streamlined and supple. (Kermit Lynch bottle.)
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Drunk from a 375ml bottle. Very good bottle of Chave. Very typical - started lighter in color and put on weight over the next few hours. Good red fruit with some pepper.
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Deeper color than the ’95 in fact touched by garnet. Muted, somewhat soapy nose that shares the earthy / mineral nature of the ’95. An obvious relationship exists when tasted side by side. This wine, however, is more stew like and vegetal with coffee notes. Less complete and satisfying than the ’95. Acid is elevated and the finish is a bit sherry like. Maybe an awkward stage. (90+?)
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At Wijn Antiq Amsterdam (blind tasting Hermitage). Very nice wine. Good fruit, nice balance and especially very elegant. Different style than the Pavillons (92/97/98) that are more masculine than this wine. Nose has lots of ripe fruit, berries, herbs and creme de cassis. Drink now - until 2020.
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Aye carumba! What a nose! Just in your face and gorgeous, full of beef blood, iron, strawberries, raspberries with spicy and floral hints. As for taste, I’ve always liked, not loved this wine as I find the acidity this vintage to be a wee bit too high for my tastes. However, a bottle I had in San Francisco this past summer showed the wine to have been nicely integrated with the acidity somewhat tamer. This bottle was bit more forceful and less integrated than that one and, once again, I found the acidity just a bit more persnickety for me to fully embrace the wine, though it is indeed very enjoyable. Like flavors as aromas. I’d still wait on these a little longer. A-.
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This Hermitage clearly shows the vintage in the Northern Rhone: high acidity and med concentration. A lot of bacon and smoke with a ton of pure red fruits and violet, it is med body with fresh acidity and lacks a little bit of complexity. Did get better with time though but I don't think this will ever achieve greatness. Long finish Nevertheless a good and really enjoyable Hermitage.
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A pleasant surprise. This dark, somewhat brooding wine stood up nicely to the lineup. Very young and tightly wound. A sense of laser focus and great depth. Beautiful as in the Grosse Fugue, not J. Strauss. My only question is whether there is enough ripeness and quantity of fruit to age with the structure. If so and this unwinds, it will be incredible.
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en magnum A very elegant nose that somehow also manages to have real depth, concentration and power. Powerful palate too. Pretty intense. Mmm, yes, real depth and power here, though somehow it manages to avoid being in any way overblown.
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Rednecks & Rhones Chave-a-thon. From magnum. Drinking with more upfront fruit and richness than I thought it would. A surprisingly good Chave for drinking now. Doesn't seem to have the structure for long aging that a vintage like the '99 has but a beautiful wine to enjoy while the '99 ages. Both'96s ( Blanc & Rouge ) had much better than expected showings today than I expected. 50+12+13+8.5+8.5 = 92
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Best bottle yet from this case. Tasted along 1996 La La's and not sucking at all. Medium colored with slight fading at the rim. Nose of black pepper and earth. Nice integration of fruit and tannins. In a so so year, a very enjoyable Chave.
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Dinner at Custom House (Custom House): Odd musty slightly hot red black fruit nose. A bit reductive? Pruny black fruit on the palate. Started out disappointing (not just young) but the odd odors blew off with time and the wine really opened up. I would have rated it mid-80s in the first 15-20 minutes. Careful here...
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"Audozed" por 2 horas e depois decantado por outras 2 horas. Rubi com traços acastanhados, sedimentos finos, quase turvo. Aromas de especiarias, lembrando noz-moscada, pimenta do reino, frutos negros, chá preto, com fumado bem presente. Na boca, marcante sensação de pimenta, seguida por resina e tabaco. Alta acidez, ótima fruta, taninos muito finos. Bom de se beber agora e com potencial para evoluir. Excelente.
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Plenty of weight, but with a faint, but offputting, chemical sweetness that reminds me of vitamin flavors (prominent in both chewable one-a-days and in fortified cereals). I've noticed this same smell in the Chave St. Joseph before. Some smoke and blackberry. Should last many years, but not one of my favorites--I prefer the '97 Chave to this (by a lot), actually.
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Dinner with the Astorettes as we bid good bye to Acky (EU): Whoa, this explodes from the bottle the moment i open it with intense bacon, roast meats and black pepper. We get to this at the end of dinner, served just before the cheese course and by the time the nose has added notes of granite, oolong tea, nilla wafer, ash, dill, and smoked meats. The intensity and purity as well as the complexity in the mouth are fantastic with rich, smoky fruits in classic medium bodied mouthfeel that cannot restrain the flavors, vibrant acidity yet not out of balance coupled with lovely gentle tanins, juicy black raspberry fruit turning a bit more blackberry with time and conveying a sense of bloody, iron richness, the finish is long and retains the fruit of the midpalate with spicy and roasted herbal notes. Compelling stuff and in the context of Chave a steal. For me at least the acidity while high is in balance and the wine closing in on peak drinking. Bravo.
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Deep dark color. Rich, smoky nose of dark fruit and smoke. Silky and suave, light- to mid-weight in the mouth, with Burgundian sap, mushroom, and forest floor/earth flavors. Elegant and classy. Delicious.
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Destaca-se um aroma fresco, lembrando mentol, mas também cedro, especiarias, liquirizia e um fumado constante. Na boca é picante, taninos finos, alta acidez, muita fruta e grande persistência. Excelente.
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Drunk from half-bottle. A mid-weight Chave that has years of life ahead. This is still primary and has a potent combination of acid, mild tannin and fruit but everything is in balance. It is hard to believe after 11 years that this is still a baby. I am going to try to keep my hands off this for three more years.
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Manchester Northern Rhône offline (Market Restaurant, Manchester): 13% Quite a leathery nose, but very nice, and very bacony. Very smooth and silky on the palate. A very pleasant wine, that might have been better tasted earlier, as I don't find it particularly stunning. Very Good (+)
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Promise unfulfilled- Beaucastel & Chave verticals with Jonathan Dinh. (Park Avenue Cafe.): A favorite Chave among my Burgundy-loving fans who like to talk about its purity, prettiness and focus, which translates into it being under-fruited and high acid. Needless to say, it's not one of my favorite Chaves, but it is an excellent effort for the vintage. The wine shows a decent core of red fruit with a touch of bacon, spice and dried herbs. There's a bit more funk on the nose than appears on the palate. The acidity is extremely high and is the dominant character of the wine and keeps the wine from being too friendly. A solid wine, but to my palate, best with a rich dish. A-/B+.
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Spanish Inquisition at Brad England's House: Darker red color than the 1982, but still slightly orange. The nose shows red fruit, mushroom, horse, pepper, and balsamicis, but is not nearly as intense as the more exuberant 1982. As the night wore on the nose almost disappeared. On the palate, the fruit is more concentrated but less expressive than the 1982. The flavor profile is similar -- black fruit, mushroom, and earth. Extremely elegant and well balanced with a long finish. Tasting this side-by-side with the 1982 was enlightening and I would project great things for the 1996 with five or more additional years of bottle age.
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Weekday Pizza Night at Brad's (Brad's House, Minneapolis): Deep maroon color, with slight amber at the rim. Wow, this is delicious, horsey, and tight. Deep, rich, smoky black fruit. Tons of balsamic/soy. Silky and light in the mouth. Tannic. Huge upside here. It was fascinating to taste this alongside the 1982 Chave. I think the 82 is a better wine... but the 96 will ultimately taste very similar to how the 82 tasted tonight.
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Tonight this was considerably more open than my last bottle (in 2000). Quite open aromatically, with game and ash tray elements. Roasted meat and smoke. Medium bodied. Seems close to fully mature.
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Dinner at 112 Eatery (Chave, Beaucastel, Pegau, Voge, Donjon, and others): The nose showed red fruit, cigar ash, smoke, and mineral. This is very elegant and mouth coating, showing red fruit, smoke, and a sight earthiness. Maybe a bit tart on the finish. Much more elegant than the Voge. Balanced and finishing with decent length. A nice compact elegant wine.
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Wine tasting. Far better than at another tasting earlier this year. Good black fruit with good spice, but this bottle showed better balance and less dominant tannins. Good length particularly shows good balance. Probably just about approaching its peak drinking window very soon.
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Wine tasting. Black fruit on nose with a good deal of earthy elements, hints of pepper. Moderate fruit, but seemingly quite closed for now behind really obtrusive tannins. Probably not a great vintage for Chave, but I'd still hold to 2010 or later to better integrate.
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11/15/2023 - lozatron wrote:
N Rhone Feast (Noizé): Deep purple colour - young seeming for its age. Something a bit rum about this - discussion of VA at the table. Suspect this was not a great bottle.
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10/26/2023 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
My last bottle and no regrets in that sense. It's very fine afte an hour with ai, a tough almost lean vintage showing, but soon comes coffee, chocolate and tobacco. Tell tale iron notes as well, amazing depth here. No hurry, but certainky no sin to drink it either.
#Bagnols-en-Fôret
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10/8/2023 - redders Likes this wine: 93 Points
4 hour decant. Very firm on first sip after decanting. Classic Chave nose . Palate intense but balanced. Quite a firm year . Plenty of time but very very good now
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10/1/2023 - clayfu wrote:
Allemand v Chave Los Angeles edition: Wildly different wine from the 1992 that was served by it. Really burly meaty and thick. Lots of olive and smoke on the nose and the palate had a coarse tannin and more tobacco driven notes with dark burly fruit. One to sit on for a bit longer
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9/30/2023 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
The nose is surprisingly moderate, showing a bit less of the classic Chave truffle and smoke, palate is somewhat resolved, opens a little easy, then turns more savory, adding complexity as it airs. Quite beautiful.
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9/29/2023 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 96 Points
Allemand vs Chave (Kitchen Istanbul): Gorgeous nose with brine, smoked meat, pepper, violets, olives, and forest notes. Nice acidity with bright fruit, more cherries, pepper, and spices on the palate. Long finish. Fantastic wine with lovely complexity that has aged beautifully. The palate in particular is spectacular.
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9/29/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 97 Points
Chave vs. Allemand (Kitchen Istanbul, SF): Tertiary nose with incredible intensity, mulch, olive brine, savory, violets, smoke; palate is medium bodied, savory, lovely intensity; long finish. This is spectacular, still improving. 97
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8/5/2023 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
1996 Rhone and Burgundy (Bronte): classic flavours, pure essence of red berries, barely noticeable oak, refined soft spice, and a structure that is silky long and refined. absolutely delicious.
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7/30/2023 - Putnam Weekley wrote: 96 Points
from magnum. pristine fill and cork. abundant bouquet. more interesting than I can measure. deliberate acid structure meets the bistecca fiorentina more than halfway. such pretty wilted floral music, born on a broth of elegant mushroom and sweet stone. choral black roots and berries. a transparent respite from insidious expectations of sticky fruit.
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1/23/2023 - joshabramson wrote:
Very good, although not quite as special as other bottles of 96’ Chave I’ve drank. May not have been stored perfectly. Still delicious though.
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1/15/2023 - Bullethead Likes this wine: 98 Points
Nose is 100, as good as a chave can get. Palate 96. Colour is garnet but it's no tired at all. Amazing wine.
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1/14/2023 - MLR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful wine with sweet plum present all around a hint at old tannins too.
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11/24/2022 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Very clean bottle. More black olive than scorched earth / smoke. A distinctive Chave perfume above the robust black and red fruit. A little big and punchy but beginning to show some elegance and finesse. 93- 94, see 12/18/20 note.
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7/10/2022 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 93 Points
Première fois avec un vieux Hermitage de Chave.
Au nez j'étais sur du Pinot, petit fruits rouge, délicat, florale un peu de poivre avec une belle matière profonde. La bouche est similaire, en fraicheur, c'est savoureux, fin, belle finale agréable. un vin dans son sweet spot moins expressif que les deux cote-rotie side by side mais plus pure et en fraicheur.
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6/23/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Chave: "In the name of science" (Chicago, IL): From magnum. I've always been suspicious of this vintage because of a dodgy bottle (whose flaw I never identified) a few years ago. Yeah, not really rational. Anyway, this bottle was very different from that. An exuberant, explosive nose with generous red fruit and still some juiciness on the palate too. There's a little leather on the nose, giving this a slight animale note. Lighter in texture, in a more acid-driven style and a huge contrast to the 1997.
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4/23/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
This bottle is drinking so well tonight. Amazing consistency from Chave….
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4/4/2022 - Papies wrote:
*** Please read ***
Ok this is now 2 days since we opened it and thought of it dull. Just left it in bottle with replacement cork and 2 days later the wine is definitely better. It’s not the expressive 1997 but is no longer dull. So the wine is in an awkward place and needs really a long devant. The fact that it shows little oxidation 2 days later means the wine is to be forgotten for a good 5yrs and forgiven for its current state. That is our plan of action for the other 3 we own.
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4/2/2022 - Papies wrote:
Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): A wine that keeps on misfiring recently, muted and not expressive and definitely the outlier in the 90s line up of vintages that Chave has produced. We have left this in bottle overnight to observe over the next few days, maybe its in need of a much longer decant. Pont less to rate now.
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2/26/2022 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Similar mid to full ruby as the 99. Stylistically similar, but not quite in the same league as the 99, everything dialled back a little. Might have needed a bit more air as a bottle a couple of years ago was right up there after a two hour decant. ****
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12/15/2021 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very nicely. Fully mature, tell-tale notes of olives, hanged meat, some barnyard, minerals. Texture is smooth and elegant. No need to wait any longer, IMHO
Xmaslunch#Chezmoi#PB
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11/21/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Chave Hermitage Dinner (Greenwood - Highwood IL): Single blind in 98/97/96/95 flight. Charming and nicely mature aromas, but less harmonious on the palate. Lots here, as expected, but richer start, more tart finish. Probably limited upside, but certainly good now.
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11/7/2021 - DH90 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent ullage; healthy cork. Deep garnet color with some brown on the edges. Complex aromatics with some lovely funkiness that blew off and revealed hints of blueberries, blackberries, tar, and leather. Held together well over several hours after decanting. Lovely wine with years of bottle life ahead still.
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10/31/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Not my best bottle of this, no flaws, just not as dramatically expressive with that signature Chave smoke, meats, and floral sweetness. Very good, but could have been brighter and had bigger projection off the nose.
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7/24/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
I came to this without any expectations and was very pleased to see it showing so well with a beautiful nose of ripe berries, sour cherry, smoke, and roast meat. Fullish and quite suave on the palate; lots of sap and nice length. 95-96 points
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7/14/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another solid Chave vintage, strawberries with a bit of meaty and spicy notes, drinking very well.
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7/3/2021 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Soft and elegant, secondary nuances and totally resolved tannins. My favorite against 04 and 11, but most of the table gravitated toward the youthful fruit of 11. To my taste, 11 is the wine to own for the next decade and 96 is the wine to drink right now.
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6/25/2021 - Papies wrote:
Another problematic 1996 bottle and definitely not a characteristic of a Chave Hermitage or for that of any Hermitage. More of a 2003 burnt feel on the fruit and frankly we are not sure if it’s a bad bottle or just a problematic vintage for JLC that means there is a lot of bottle variability.. or just a bad batch of bottles we have come across. No point to score but in the past we have had great bottles of the 1996 so frustrating to come across off bottles.
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1/24/2021 - Fred_Bo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ready to pop.
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1/4/2021 - robertoS wrote:
Good to see there is at least one bottle on CT of a wine that does not exist at all
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12/18/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
[Blind] I called this Chave off the nose. The signature olive, scorched earth, acrylics, and red roses all wrapped up in a powerful but elegant bouquet was unmistakable. Absolutely glorious. Straddles that line between soil and cleanliness so well, overall clean and pure but with so much distinctive sense of earth. Texturally soft and silky but effortlessly delivers so much power. I love this wine. 94 - 95+
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11/7/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredible nose of meat, blood and iron. Classic northern rhone. This was a step up over 1992. Wonderful.
For this 1996, it was as perfect as a Northern Rhone could be. That intoxicating nose of meat and blood, and a perfect accompaniment to any dish like lamb, game, or in our case, rib eye. The tannins are beautifully integrated and this is definitely in its peak drinking window. Medium to high acidity and low alcohol helps differentiate this verses new world Syrah, even those making in a Rhone style. It was in perfect balance and harmony. A stunning wine, and possibly my best Chave memory.
From SJW
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9/10/2020 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for about an hour; less concentrated than the last time we tried it but still pretty special and gaining weight as it gets air. Nose is so expressive; violets, blackberry kirsch, smokey bacon, mint, olive paste, hot rocks and cocoa. Palate is lighter-bodied but still full of verve with notes of red currant, burnt orange peel and green olives on the medium-long finish. Tannins are fully integrated and the acidity is fresh and racy. So delicious; an absolute joy to drink.
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7/27/2020 - Pinotfanbg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at my birthday celebration at Dan’s.
Really nice and drinking well. Signature Chave style and flavors, especially with a bit of air. Not the best vintage, less ripe than the best vintages. The pedigree is evident. Drank from magnum, and not fading at all. Double decanted and recorked, then drank three hours later over two more hours.
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7/17/2020 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass ("Root" day): Medium garnet to the eyes.
Savoury, earthy, black olives, undergrowth, dried herbs like bay leaves, herbal tea leaves, mature red plummy fruits in the background, very faint hints of VA. To me this seems fully mature.
Good balance: Quite highly acidic but fine boned, with some VAs that is still enveloped in its rich secondary flavours driven palate, medium bodied, satiny tannins. Slightly spicy, but very nice mellow finish that is quite long indeed.
Probably not the most glorious example of this cuvee, but certainly quite an approachable and balanced one. One should not hesitate to uncork now rather than later. 93-94 points.
1 hour upon opening, a little more than 2/3 left: More liquorice, fresh herbs and faint hints of chocolate and black peppery notes that is more classic to this cuvee. On the fruits more red prunes too.
5.5 hours upon opening, 1/4 left: Very much peaking in my view with more animale notes, and mature dates and prunes.
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6/2/2020 - KPB wrote:
This bottle is still solidly in its window. However, it may be slightly corked. The score should be 91 but I clicked “flawed” to be fair...
Ruby with a significant level of browning, the wine is satiny, with a lovely clarity. On the nose, red currents, beeswax, and a mushroom/loam aroma that perhaps is a bit too insistent (I wondered about TCA, and the cork is not in ideal shape, yet it doesn’t taste corked, so I’ll just chalk it up as reduction). Tart and yet with vivid fruit, again red currents, and a very long mineral finish. Outstanding wine, but definitely time to drink it!
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2/7/2020 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
Same batch as the last bottle. Showing more acid tonight. Not as ethereal and balanced as the last bottle.
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1/18/2020 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Wraysbury dinner (Home): Double decanted 2hrs. When opened this was mid ruby, all zingy raspberry fruit and brightness. Fills out, and becomes more serious in the decanter. Lovely raspberry fruit alongside something darker, a touch of smoke, bacon and a meaty element. So elegant despite its stature. Lovely. Not top Chave but not far off on this bottle’s showing. ****1/2
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12/1/2019 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over two days. Barnyard nose evolved to forest floor. Rich and deep wine, with wet leaves, mushroom and earth to taste. Not much fruit at all. Long finish though a bit sour which to some was a benefit and to others a detriment.
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11/17/2019 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
A Whole Lotta Chave Hermitage (Single Blind) (Chez Kailin): 96/97/98/99/Ringer Flight. Beautiful nose of dried meat that is laced with intense smoke, olive and meat. Palate is so savory with moderate concentration. Great complexity. My #2, Group #1. Shows that lesser vintages can perform especially when you time them right. More ready than a greater vintage from the same era, like 98 for example.
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10/1/2019 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was beautiful; nose with dark fruit, olive brine, black tea, smoked meat, violet, stony earth, and a bit of spice. The palate was silky with mostly resolved tannins and juicy acidity. The fruit and savory notes transfer well and this really feels Burgundian as it opens. Decanted 15 minutes prior to dinner, open 1 hour before. No rush, as this seems to have several years of enjoyable drinking ahead.
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8/29/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfumed with spice, tea, wild berries and cinnamon. Precise and transperent on the palate with high acidity. Light on its feet.
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7/15/2019 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Maggie Harrison (Formentos - Chicago, IL): Fascinating comparison with the 1998 in the same flight. The table was split on preference. I slightly preferred the 1998 as it seemed broader and more complete. This had a gorgeously evolved nose with plenty of meat and olive, with slightly less rich fruit than the 98. The palate also had more energy and verve with slightly less fruit weight than the 98. Gorgeous on its own right, and further evidence on why Chave is my favorite Syrah in the world.
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7/15/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Maggie Harrison (Antica Terra / Lillian), Drinking her Great Wine + Great French Wine (Formento's - Chicago IL): Lots of powerful black fruit with very good density. Some liked this a lot more, but I found it a bit angular and less perfectly harmonious vs the glorious 1998 in the next glass.
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7/3/2019 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Still very fresh and somewhat of a smokey bandit, very linear and balanced, a bit rustic, black fruit galore, tobacco, meat pepper, a very fine Hermitage - and a great 1996 at that.
#Struktur
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4/26/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Pretty evolved and sporting a half glass of fine grained sediment so be sure to stand this up for a while before opening. The nose is beautiful and has a feral component that’s really appealing. Fully resolved tannins, dark fruit that’s starting to veer towards raisinated, good balance and tension. Probably on the decline unless you like them really funky and tertiary.
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3/30/2019 - larsth wrote: 92 Points
Wine meet – Hermitage @ Lars: I have had better bottles of this wine before. Still good and very Chave. Smoky earthy notes and bright acidity. In itself a nice wine but run over by a fantastic Chapoutier l’Ermite from the same vintage.
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3/16/2019 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
The 1996 has always been the problem child of the 90s Chaves for us. We have had some great bottles that we rated 96 and quite a few off ones. This one was in the middle, a beautiful wine but not to the level that the pedigree and price that it commands. Especially next to its brother from 1997 ( Papies 95) this was a bit lacking of charm and had a drying feeling on the finish.
Still though, the aromatics were there albeit less expressive than the 1997, soft smoky edge, herbs, inky, blood/iron touches. On the palate it was just a bit dry and with a few sharp edges but still a good 93.
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2/14/2019 - DRK III Likes this wine:
Very evolved at this point. Earth and iron. Elegant and long. Delicious with epoisses.
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2/13/2019 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
More reductive notes, band-aid, berries, black-red cherry syrup, rich, aging very well, nice balance. Dirty Dozen N. Rhone at Taylors. 92-93
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12/31/2018 - DavidInBoston Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Paired very well with mushroom risotto. Still showing well; probably could survive another couple years.
Sight: A thin darkness, some brown on the edges. Nose: dusty, moldy, beets, rotting pepper, mushrooms, dark flowers. Taste: tannic, dried cherries, cranberry, some cedar / cherry pit, plum tomato.
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12/25/2018 - Ardross Likes this wine: 95 Points
Agree with Matty below
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12/11/2018 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep garnet in color with slight bricking edge. Nose of dark berries and graphite. Tastes of dark cherries, iron, and hints of black pepper. Lovely mouthfeel and impressive fruit for 22 years. Not likely to improve but not going anywhere over the next 5 years. Drink over next 5-10 years.
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12/8/2018 - MikeATL wrote: 94 Points
Not a bad Saturday afternoon: By this point in the day, my note taking was starting to suffer, but this was one of the wines of the day. Minty brambly fruit with lovely complexity and balance and the ineffable class that distinguishes the estate.
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10/6/2018 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted a tiny pour at Noreetuh in NYC; sick. Nose of violets and roses with hints of tobacco, palate was smokier version of the nose. So elegant and delicious. Now I know what all the hype is about—a truly special wine.
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9/30/2018 - jharrals wrote:
This bottle was slightly corked. Not so much that you could not drink it, and it did improve with air, but none of the beautiful fruit or full body of a Hermitage. Hoping my other bottles will not be the same.
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8/11/2018 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cloudier than expected, like squashed mulberry milk. Drinking like it should, definitely aged hermitage. Raisin metallic bronze though youthfully juicy in the middle. Well made and ageing well but could have more personality though.
Coravin by the glass at Hambleton Hall, pre Michelin star dinner ... warming me up.
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6/26/2018 - Nick4378 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted again after 1.5 years. Still in the zone. Fully integrated Chave that is on the more elegant side of the spectrum.
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6/26/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote:
Unfortunately this bottle was riddled with volatile acidity that took 60 minutes to even somewhat blow away. None of the hallmark Chave or Northern Rhône aromatics at all. The palate was intact and was surprisingly delicate, but without the terrific nose this bottle was at half strength at best. Very disappointing.
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6/23/2018 - James Kim Likes this wine: 94 Points
50th Birthday Dinner (Classic Wine Storage, Dallas, TX): Brought by Meredith. Impressions. Decanted for about 30 min. Smoky grilled meats, dark berries, olives, bacon, herbs, earth. Nicely balanced. Excellent weight without being heavy. Complex and beautiful.
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5/16/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker Auction & Commanderie des Costes du Rhone (Zuma & Racines): Interesting to try this next to the '89. I think of Chave as the pure animalistic wine, but this isn't really that. It's more fruit and saddle leather. A bit less intense and a bit more muted. Can get the cleanness that some talk about in this wine.
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5/4/2018 - Raizes Likes this wine: 94 Points
偏向红色水果的果味正在从顶峰准备下山的路上，而烤肉、烟熏培根和逐渐强烈菌菇气息在填补果香留下的空间。结构已经完全打开，拥有高酸度和中等的酒体，而单宁的构造绵密坚韧，整款酒在优雅而缓慢的老去。
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3/28/2018 - Proletaren Likes this wine: 92 Points
Serious Syrah. Meaty and secondary and starting to coming in to a great face. Not sure if it has enough stuffing/fruit to last very long. Liked it a lot at this stage where the fruit is still holding pole position. Dark sour berries, meat juice, some mushroom and forest floor. Firm tannins.
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3/23/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Jean-Louis Chave (Gwen - Loa Angeles CA): Dense and powerful, this shows the lean/ granite aspects of Chave Hermitage vs the forward/ clay aspects. Meaty, powerful, firm. I am optimistic regarding where this will evolve.
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3/21/2018 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Jean-Louis Chave (Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco): Light mushroom/truffle nose, elegant sweet fruit, excellent acidity, mild tannins, very burgundian weight with nice intensity of bright sweet fruit, lasting finish with hints of savory notes.
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3/21/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Jean Louis Chave (Heirloom cafe): Highly aromatic, complex, red fruit, meaty, gamey, bacon, truffle; palate is medium-bodied, high acid, balanced red fruit, tertiary mulch notes; lovely long finish with elegance, still remaining fruit, excellent acidity, lovely finish. A superb Hermitage, balanced, mature, elegant, and showing really well tonight. 95
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2/18/2018 - Papies wrote:
Another poor bottle here ( this time from a new batch) which really broke our heart. This wine when good (like a few months ago) is an easy 96 but we have had so far 3 bad and 1 superb bottles. If we adjust for the cost maybe better we bought one bottle of Petrus... painful.
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1/16/2018 - BradE wrote:
This was fine, but not a great Chave by any means.
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1/15/2018 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
Served alongside the 95, which was a better wine...Similar character, but not as complex. Smoke, spice, funk...nice
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1/6/2018 - rube237 wrote: 95 Points
Totally Hermitage. Totally definitive. Totally Chave. Maybe not the density of some of the adjacent vintages, but, this is perfectly correct and everything textbook Hermitage. Sauvage, brilliant fruit, perfect balance.
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11/5/2017 - rSyver wrote: 91 Points
Last bootle out of six and drunk over several years and struggle to see the positive sides continue to develop now, however there are no signs of the wine going downhill either. Very much Chave on the nose, balanced and long finish. Subtle, elegant and full bodied. Very much different from the best vintages of the nineties - yet the footprint of Chave is there.
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10/29/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Chave Hermitage & Brisket (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): In 95/96/97 vertical. Slightly reductive start. Mature black cherry with olive, black pepper and subtle spice. Good+ weight and length. Subtle, elegant, probably at its peak now.
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10/29/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Chave & Brisket (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Served in a flight of 95/96/97, and unfortunately for this bottle is was sandwiched between two epic bottles of Chave. The 1996 has appealing rich and meaty black fruit aromas with olive notes -- but not the intensity or detailing of the 95 or sheer power of the 97. The palate has delicious, savory black fruit and bright, lifting acidity. Excellent but not as layered or complex as its flight-mates.
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10/23/2017 - Papies wrote:
Our last bottle of this 5 month sago we rated 96. This was no where near and albeit not flawed felt a bit like a great singer who had the cold. Muted and reserved without that singing nose and expressive palate. Shame but hopefully our other bottles will be better!
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10/13/2017 - Tony Poli wrote: 94 Points
Preceded a 2010 Chave L’Hermitage. Showed what the wine can do. 2010 was definitely a better year, and that wine was a powerhouse, but this was quite good. Resolved, but could hold a few more years.
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8/27/2017 - Barry Rothof wrote: 93 Points
Steak House Terroir (Leiden , NL): Appealing weigth with dried cherry and raspberry with elegance, vivacious acidity and mineral strength, a Burgundian take on Hermitage.
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8/25/2017 - Burgaddict wrote:
Leiden dinner at Terroir: Mature Hermitage, drinking wonderfully considering this is more than 20 years old. Lovely nose with spice and sous bois. Taste red and dark fruit, fresh, lovely acidity, balanced, long finish. Still appears young. Really very fine Hermitage.
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8/16/2017 - BradE wrote:
Not a heavyweight, but this drank well.
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7/13/2017 - valedeniro wrote: 89 Points
Tasted blind.Uninteresting wine,annihilated by the night's other wines.The fruit is disappointing and the secondary development is very poor.Decent,but lacking in any wow factor ! Not worth the money.
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6/12/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Dinner with Erin Chave (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Fully mature aromas and flavors, mostly black cherry with some red cherry hints. Good+ balance and weight. Best to enjoy near- or medium-term.
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5/28/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with last bottle. Very good. In a strong line up this was pretty much the show stopper. Classic Chave rustic flavors. I could smell this wine all night long. Campfire, smokey gamey, grilled meats, charcoal and ash. Incredible complexity and detail.
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5/13/2017 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Saturday night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): After a misfiring bottle when we tried this last, this was the master class of a wine we expected.
Simply amazing would do for a tasting note. Roast meat, earthy, dark fruits, light spice on the nose. An amazing nose so complex and elegant. On the palate it is very much alive albeit with soft and silky tannin and this wine is really not far from perfect. It just needed a bit more fruit. Superb still . 96
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4/28/2017 - Nanda wrote: flawed
Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): Most certainly an off bottle, but doesn't smell corked. The nose is closed and mostly just sour fruit. Palate seems stripped and light.
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4/28/2017 - acyso wrote: flawed
Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): Something was not quite right with the bottle, though everyone agreed it wasn't corked. Seemed a little tired, very green, and thin, and lacking the characteristic Chave polish.
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4/7/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fully mature bottle drinking perfectly. Popped and poured. The nose leaps from the glass with serious spice notes, garrigue, cinnamon, sous bois, campfire and classic Chave rusticity. Decent acidity and structure left in this but think the window is now. Dont see further improvement but no decline. Really pleasurable tonight.
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3/28/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Alpharetta, GA): Dark crimson core with large brick rim; currants, age, brick, leather, plush, red fruit, clay, iron, smoke, roasted meat, cooked tomato; plush tannin, cooked cherry and tomato, granite, iodine, beautifully aged, good power and balance, soft tannin, fresh acid; delicious, was in Cote Rotie based on the lighter nature and granite coming through.
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2/6/2017 - Papies wrote:
A misfiring Chave or a bottle issue (No flaw of any kind detected to be exact). Decanted for a good hour in hope of getting some development but the wine never responded and never delivered. Even the humble 94 (Papies 94-95) delivered but this 96 was dormant. Similar to the 96 Chapourier Ermite so maybe a vintage issue? or just our luck. Goof fruit and healthy wine but no magic here. Will refrain comments and rating for the next bottle. felt like a 90-91 on the day
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1/21/2017 - aChave wrote: 93 Points
Two Chave birthdays (Portland): A still somewhat reserved Chave Hermitage. Has the mixture of richness and purity I like in these wines, but less forward attraction than, for example, the 1997. Hints of spice on top of deep fruit with refined structure. A Burgundian styled wine. Tannins mostly resolved. Superb dinner wine. One hour decant was helpful.
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1/14/2017 - Nick4378 Likes this wine: 95 Points
sublimely elegant. Gave it a 1.5hr decant. Stunning nose. Red Fruit, olive, game, leather. Full tannin resolution at this point. Graceful is what sums this up in one word.
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1/1/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
2017 New Year's Day Tasting (Marietta, GA): Dark maroon with clarity, lighter rim; mushroom, olive, granite, soft plum and dark cherry; mineral, light olive, darker fruit, resolved tannin; drinking really well.
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12/4/2016 - BVal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Color: medium-deep ruby core -> garnet/bricked rim. After less than thrilling notes on the '95 & '97 (though the '97 was still pretty nice), I have to say that this is more like it! Fabulous bouquet on PnP that strengthened to a plateau at about 60+ minutes. The usual 80's Chave suspects here: leather, bacon fat, roasted game meat, iodine & iron, woodsmoke and a bit of that old barnyard. Great, medium-bodied palate showing poise, balance and presence: blackberries and black cherries along with herbs de Provence, leather, roasted meat, etc. etc. (see: bouquet). Just a lovely, harmonious wine that has kept its intensity yet still comes across as elegant. In a wonderful place now; great acid level and structure with a medium-long finish. Drink now and over the next 3-5 years . . . and I would suggest enjoying by itself rather than diluting the magic with food. Now THIS is what I hope for when I open a mature Chave ! ! !
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11/12/2016 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Ruby. Iron, roast meat, leather, and stewed plums are some of the aromas that pour from the glass. The earthy and meaty notes are quite alluring but the stewed plum detracts from the freshness. Tannins are fully resolved, not unexpected given the vintage. The 1996 Hermitage is probably at its peak but should provide several more years of good drinking.
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11/7/2016 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 92 Points
15 vintages of Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rouge and Blanc (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Some funky notes, showing more maturity here. Quite nice and lovely. The palate is rich and soft, again with some older notes. There's also a nice candied fruit present to counter balance that, almost like banana flavored sweet tarts. This is coupled with those older notes of a dusty book. Overall though, this shows itself quite integrated. Puckering and not as expressive on the finish. There is a bloom of richness and acid that comes a few seconds after swallowing, but again, not as vibrant as it should be. This bottle didn't show as fresh as the bottle I noted two years ago.
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11/1/2016 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at 67
Fully mature and singing. A classic wine. What's not to like?
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10/13/2016 - paul195 wrote: 93 Points
It has been a while since I last had this vintage, this bottle had an opaque core and deep red color, the nose was quite expressive dominated by black fruits laced with leather, spice and bacon fat. The palate was fuller bodied than I remember, the fruit was a little sour almost like cranberries, smooth tannins, nice body, structure and finish. Still quite youthful with many years to go.
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9/12/2016 - tooch wrote:
Monday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): It's been a while since I tried this vintage. The fruit tasted a bit odd to me on this one. Maybe a touch of heat damage? Dunno really.
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8/20/2016 - Raizes Likes this wine: 95 Points
开瓶后除了一点腐臭味，基本没有其它香气，开玩笑来说，透着那么一种“空”的境界，喝起来简直堪称枯禅。醒酒器催熟一个小时以后，香气开始缓慢释放：果香、咸矿物味与橡木带来的辛香搭配得很好。入口的感觉要比闻香高至少两个档位：质感非常顺滑，单宁如丝绸一般，让我瞬间想起了《JoJo》第四部意大利餐厅的那杯乞力马扎罗冰川水……非常高雅的香气在口中支撑起立体的结构，果实的成熟度并不是非常高，但是因为香气和单宁都能跟上酸度的节奏，所以喝起来并没有生涩的感觉，倒像是性冷淡风的三国美周郎，一旦深交，若饮醇醪，不觉自醉。
96年并不是Chave的代表年份，但这款酒除了在收尾上有所欠缺以外，和优秀年份的差异并不太大。作为Hermitage地块混酿的代表性名庄，Chave在这款酒中嵌藏着Les Bessards的强烈咸感作为骨架，同时兼容了Le Meal微微油润的特质，演绎了一首小提琴与大提琴的二重奏——拆分和整合的去欣赏这一点，是我在喝这款酒时最大的乐趣所在。
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6/11/2016 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
Big black fruits nose. Lots of leather and some bloodiness.
Huge poise and power on the palate. Great concentration.
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6/2/2016 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Fine-Wine Winter Dinner (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Stunning purity on the nose - beautiful perfume with refined smoke and hung meat aspects. In the mouth, this is lean and slightly angular but with intense poise and focus. It was a good, but not great match with an 11 Madison Park recipe for Guinea Fowl, Parsnips and Oats, as the rich recipe demands a rounder wine (which the 2001 La Chapelle offered a month ago). The wine is absolutely outstanding and is showing very little development and promises to age and transform in a positive manner for 20 more years, although it will always be a leaner, more "Burgundian" style of Hermitage, in this vintage.
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5/17/2016 - dmalcolm wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/11/2016 - larsth wrote: 94 Points
Smokey, meaty, earthy, dark fruits and bacon scents but still with the very typical Chave burgundian balance. It drinks very well now and is approaching maturity but still with ample life. We enjoyed it a lot.
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3/9/2016 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
4hr decant. My tasting notes seem to vary every time.
Dark, concentrated glyceriny bramble/blackberry fruit with hints of strappy leather and earth. Medium to full-bodied with decent length and the impression of imminent maturity. Excellent - but I can't help feeling that I expect even more from this already fine wine.
Interested to see where this is next year - its main asset is that (some) time, in spite of all my variable notes, almost certainly remains on its side. Perhaps I should just enjoy the roller-coaster experience.
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1/17/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Better on the earthy, red dark berry and spicy nose than on the medium bodied, slightly tart, firm palate. Air might improve this wine, but I doubt it.
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12/19/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Clear medium ruby with moderate bricking appropriate for age, very nice color; nose is moderately aromatic, earth, granite, red berries, slight chewy licorice, slight roasted red peppers; palate is full bodied, medium-plus acid that keeps the wine clean and fresh throughout, medium very well-integrated tannins, red fruit throughout; finish is medium-long. This is excellent, well balanced, complex, but at the moment lacks the intensity and charm on the nose that I've gotten from other vintages, and it could use just a bit more depth of fruit on the palate. It does seem like it will open up over the next hour or two. Drinking well now, 92-93.
1 hour air: It is opening up compared to when it was first tasted. More spice on the nose, a bit more aromatic; palate has definitely fleshed out with a bit more black fruit that gives it more character. Still not an "oh wow" wine like a few other vintages that I've had, but superb nonetheless. Surprisingly elegant, and may actually improve over the next decade though it is excellent now... 93-94
Next hour: Continues to be more fleshed out and to improve in density and complexity. Give this an hour or two of air and then drink over hours to get the full evolution.
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12/9/2015 - MLR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good place right now. Tannins well integrated and benefitt d from decanting for an hour or so. The longer it was open the better it got. Fruit still very present.
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9/27/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose performs well for the first couple of hours with dark berries, sweet spice and dark earth. But the palate never lives up to that opening. Somewhat dry and low acid, this wine displays ample ripe fruit and dark savory spice initially but does not have substantial depth. Enjoyable but will not improve and ultimately a wine confined by its vintage. Decanted 90 minutes, consumed over the following two hours. In order to pressure test recent experiences, this was a bottle from a separate but known cellar with good conditions, but the results were largely the same.
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9/22/2015 - KPB wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby, with a lovely nose: floral, then cranberry and red current fruit, waxy overtones. But the somewhat dry tannins are at the edge over overwhelming the fruit, giving the sense of a wine that perhaps should have been consumed younger! Still, the nose is lovely and the wine remains very enjoyable even if a tiny bit austere on the finish.
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8/30/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
A tad lighter than the '97. Similar herbal aromatics. Resolved but just a bit softer than that wine. Also excellent.
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8/12/2015 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a dense, dark, young Chave that lacks the charm of some of the other vintages but gained in the glass with flavors of charcoal minerals, char and dark spices. Concentrated and complex on the finish and could still improve . 93+
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8/11/2015 - tinybubbles wrote: 89 Points
A finicky nose with dry cardboard, black olive, underlying spice and hidden fruit. This wine has consistently underperformed on the palate for me. This bottle was flat, empty and bitter on the finish. Better with food (lamb shoulder) than without. This bottle fell slightly short of other recent experiences.
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6/7/2015 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
Highlights from Thierry's pre-tour dinner: The nose here expressed bright, red fruits, also tobacco, earth, old leather and a little oxidised iron. There was also a strong suggestion of old plums. The entry to the palate was rich and sweet. The delicacy and weight took several of us (briefly) away from the Rhone to Burgundy, as did the lovely acidity, but Thierry brought us back. There was no black or white pepper component to bouquet or palate. Once we were certain of Syrah, the producer was obvious. Finessed and refined with a silky texture and ultra-fine grained tannins. Flavours of bright red fruit and dark earth. Not a big scaled vintage, but I very much liked this Chave. Drinking well now. I don't think it's a Chave for the ages, drink in the next 10 years or so.
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6/4/2015 - chablis28 wrote: 96 Points
This was a late PnP bonus btl coming after dinner and after the 01. Huge layered, Northern Rhone nose! Even as PnP the nose was stunning and the palate classic NR red fruit, pepper, leather, tar you name it. This btl kind of pushed the two wonderful 01's aside. Would have liked to have one more food course to go with it. Tannins mostly resolved but would have completely disappeared with food. Not complaining though as this was an awesome wine and WOTN for me. This btl showed just how much more interesting this wine gets with an addl 5yrs btl age than the 2001. These really are 15yr + wine and probably best at 20yrs out+. What a great opportunity to taste the 01 and 96 almost side by side.
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5/18/2015 - ubercuvee wrote:
Brett and indistinct on opening but the class and quality rachets up as it's exposed to air, more and more minerality is apparent as it opens. A "wow" wine.
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4/25/2015 - dmalcolm wrote:
Wow, what a nose! Complex and meaty aromas of iron, red/dark fruits, and smoke were jumping from the glass. Medium bodied, with a suave, silky texture. This wine kept evolving and and got more layered as it sat in the glass. Combining power and grace, this is fully mature and should cruise for many more years.
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4/24/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with my recent experiences with the 94 and 96, this bottle exhibited a nose superior to the palate. Sweet spice, red fruit, light chalkiness and dustiness, and faint black pepper on the nose. The palate is on a downward slope and while still enjoyable fades with time and is not as rich as it once was.
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2/8/2015 - rSyver wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottles. At a great state now; this bottle did improve by a few hours of air revealing some fresh red fruit as well.
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1/2/2015 - jerhardt wrote: 93 Points
An elegant, burgundian Chave. Light bodied, but highly aromatic in the grilled meat and bacon fat way that it should be. Not for those that want to be wowed by power, but otherwise, a very good wine.
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12/20/2014 - palbe Likes this wine: 91 Points
P n' P. Deep ruby with slight bricking. Complex and broad bouquet of raspberries, cherries, herbs and smoked meats. Palate is equally broad, with small red berries and a slight stoniness. Elegant and long. A truly distinguished and distinctly "old-world" wine in a great spot now.
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12/17/2014 - dmalcolm wrote: flawed
Corked
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12/17/2014 - godx wrote: flawed
Blind December Lunch (Lupo): Corked.
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10/17/2014 - rSyver wrote: 92 Points
To me this is mature now. No rush, but it is really in a nice state at the moment. Not the best vintage, but still - this is drinking very well now. A few hours of air in advance does nothing but good to the wine.
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7/30/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 94 Points
16 vintages of Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage, Rouge and Blanc (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): Richly acidic smelling. Tart aromas but lusciously smooth. Quite pretty. Very very smooth palate entry. Lush and decadent, showing tart but beautiful fruit notes. Very wonderfully balanced on the palate. Tart, rich tartness on thee finish. Really beautifully smooth and integrated. The prettiest one yet.
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5/14/2014 - cab blends wrote: 89 Points
Rhone Theme Wine Dinner - Bistro Provence, BEthesda MD: Musky. Tannins 5/10 (Bernd Andreas)
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5/14/2014 - Bandreas wrote: 89 Points
Tasted twice: when I opened and decanted it 6 hours before the dinner and then at the "Rhone Wine Tasting" and dinner at Bistro Provence, Bethesda:
First taste: Medium carmine Red, turning chestnut at the rim. Soft on the nose, a bit of tar, tart cherries and acidity.
On palate first very soft and subdued then intensity increases and the wine shows a good tannin structure. Overall nice and pleasant but not great. A tired, graceful aristocrat..
Tasting it in the evening: A vegetal nose and a bit thin. Still some refinement about it but nothing to excite the senses.
probably had it open for too long! I guess 2 hours would have been ample.
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5/4/2014 - NickBurwood wrote: 93 Points
(Only) a 5 hour decant. Some of the acidity of my first note had returned, albeit without the volatility; the overall (still excellent) impression remains however and otherwise my second note applies.
I have little doubt that 6 hours is the bare minimum decanting time to get the best out of this extraordinary wine.
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3/16/2014 - rSyver wrote: 91 Points
Confirms previous bottle, start out as matured, but air bring youth into the picture. Lovely.
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12/31/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 95 Points
New Year's Eve dinner.
Using CellarTracker members' combined experience gave this a very long 6 hour decant. This transformed the wine from the somewhat unfocused and volatile 90 of my previous note to wine of the evening status (I exclude the '54 Terrantez from the competition!).
Concentrated, almost sweet hedge fruit nuances were encapsulated in a perfectly integrated cedary frame. The pronounced acidity of the earlier note had completely disappeared and now was in the right balance to complement the fruit.
Only a slight earthiness often associated in my experience with hermitage prevented confusion with a fine burgundy such was the elegance of this wine.
Top notch accompaniment for a platter of finest English cheeses.
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11/30/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
This elegantly styled Hermitage is open and ready for business. Soft, medium bodied, mature and delivering all of its fresh, spicy red berries and earth, this is not a Chave for long term aging. I liked the wine, but it clearly lacks the weight and density of the better vintages.
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11/16/2013 - rSyver wrote: 91 Points
Again, starts muted and needs time to reveal the inner quality. At first acidity only, while the fruit enters with time and air makes a balanced wine with a long finish backed by a great acidity. A classic Chave that I would expect will develop greatly still. No shame drinking these now with some air in advance, I'll save a few for the future.
This bottle shows as a bit more mature than a bottle one year ago.
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5/18/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Bearserkerfest Night 2-Chave Table (Sun Wah BBQ, Chicago IL): Nose: Absolutely loaded and deep with layered tones of black cherries, leather, roasted meats, loads of black pepper, earth tones, and some spices. This has some real power to it, but it also seems like it's slightly holding back.
Taste Full bodied with medium+ acidity and some youthful tannins. This is deep and layered with great tones of roasted meats, black cherries, black pepper, earth, and black olives.
Overall: While this was drinking great, it feels like it can get better. This was a special wine and one of the better Chaves on display.
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4/6/2013 - tooch wrote: 94 Points
(Mostly) Northern Rhone Night (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Overall a beautiful wine that was drinking very well. The biggest thing for me here was its balance. The fruit was appropriately rich and and lush, but the earthy and meaty notes really gave it a sense of place. Acidity on the finish kept it fresh and lively. Yum.
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4/5/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
A night of (mostly) Northern Rhones (The Bristol, Chicago IL): Nose: This is showing really well with deep and layered tones of black fruits, black cherries, roasted meats, charcoal, crushed rocks, and some hints of black olives.
Taste: Full bodied with medium+ acidity and some chewy tannins. There is very good balance with deep and layered tones of black fruits, black cherries, crushed rocks, and black olives.
Overall: There is a lot of class to this. It's showing really well on both the nose and palate with some real good layering as well. This is a spot on Chave and is a beautiful wine.
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1/8/2013 - Eisenglass Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pristine bottle. Very pure highly delineated fruit. An essay on terroir with a burgundian-like purity. Excellent.
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12/12/2012 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Not as vividly smoky and meaty as the last bottle I had; this comes across a little more youthful with the fruit a bit richer and more intense, but showing the same refinement, finesse and depth. Lovely wine that only suffered in comparison with the Allemand that was poured beside it.
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12/9/2012 - NickBurwood wrote: 90 Points
Remarkable instant bramble fruit nose on pulling cork and decanting, which just as rapidly closed up.
Decanted 2 hours beforehand and redecanted 30 minutes before first proper glass. Secondary decanting necessary in attempt to ameliorate a very volatile acidity as well as to bring out some fruit character.
Slight rim in glass bricking down into a deep ruby core. Aroma of earthy, smokey hedge fruits and spice.
Acidity still strong in the backbone but under control. Core flavours of blackberry, ground pepper with maquis herb notes. Every glass poured varied suggesting this wine, undoubtedly well structured, needs time to decide its destiny.
90 today, could be 93+ if evolution is kind. Will open next bottle in 2014 and report (hopefully) progress.
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10/23/2012 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Grand Sichuan NYC (quick notes): ham hock, bacon, forest fire; intense. +
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10/23/2012 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Classic Chave aromatics; that vivid smokiness, meatiness, red fruits and black olives all coming together into one amazing fragrance. This just kept getting better to smell over the course of the evening, and it tastes pretty fantastic as well, a little lighter on its feet than what I usually expect from Chave with the acidity quite prominent, but beautifully balanced with striking length and a sense of real finesse and polish.
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10/23/2012 - dtscbs wrote:
Had with roast chicken thighs, bulgar wheat and asparagus.
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9/29/2012 - paul195 wrote: 92 Points
Fresh middleweight - good fruit and texture
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8/22/2012 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
Wednesday, for real this time... (Andrew's House): Double decanted at around noon, placed back in storage at 50F for 8 hours. Opaque purple in the glass, and a little cloudy. Certainly not as reticent as some of the tasting notes here suggest, showing a gorgeous nose of red currants, plum, blackberry spice, earth, dried tobacco, smoke and olive brine. This was much darker in character than any other Chave Hermitage that I've tried. On the palate, some light drying tannin on the moderate finish, but drinking quite well, with a lively streak of acidity. Not the most expressive and complex Chave, but really showing well for the vintage.
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7/26/2012 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark red color with smoky tints and near opaque density. Aromas of black olive, meat, leather, cherry, plum, and licorice. On the palate, this is shows red fruit, meat, licorice, and some olive notes, but is ultimately not fully ready for my tastes. The finish is long and slightly tannic. Good now, but better later in my book. Hold.
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7/11/2012 - BradKNYC wrote:
A birthday dinner for Suzanne at Christine's. (Christine's.): This wine has gone through a wonderful transformation in the past couple of years, as exhibited by this and two or so other bottles I've had in that time. I've always considered '96 a bit problematic due to the acidity which always stuck out a bit too much, seemingly like a poke in the eye. However, recent showings have seen that acid edge soften and integrate, allowing the fruit and other components to shine through more freely, while the freshness and lithe character still remain. Such is the case with this bottle, which is perhaps the most integrated and expansive bottle I've had. Crunchy cherry fruit with meat, blood, herbs and spices and, with air, the aroma of violets filled the air. The wine just dances across the palate. No rush here, but it's really hitting its peak drinking window now, imo. Solid A-.
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5/19/2012 - rSyver wrote: 93 Points
Talk about being everything La Chapelle 96 is not! Wht a wine!
Deep red colour, hints of brick on the rim. Starts out muted, adds complexity with time, and goes from state to state. Ends up with some plums, some chocolate, tee, hints of nicely integrated oak and a lingering tone of cool red berries. Complex, soft tannins and suberb acidity. Finish long lasting!
Entering a mature state, will keep for a long time still. Start to enjoy! (make sure to give the wine some air in advance)
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2/21/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose showed sweet floral notes, black tea, stony minerals, earth, black pepper and a hint of parchment. On the palate, it was velvety and savory with excellent balance showing sour berries, black soil, bell pepper and leather. The finish was beautifully smooth and lasting.
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2/20/2012 - g-man wrote: 90 Points
Still very, very young. Decanted 2 hours prior to trying. Nose rather muted. Eventually coaxed some dark fruit after 4 or 5 hours. I'll let my last bottle sit another 5-6 years at least.
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2/9/2012 - Todd French wrote:
Even overnight (in low-oxygen climate) this baby STILL didn't fully open up! WAIT!
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1/20/2012 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
Rhone dinner (semi blind) (Amsterdam Dufay): Aged brick colour. Cedar and cigar box tones in the nose, even ash more than cigar. Very powerful palate that seems much younger than colour shows, VERY elegant and typical Chave. Meat and herbs tones and whiff of tangerine, tobacco tones in the aftertaste.
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11/28/2011 - balassis wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at home with my wife Marilena and my friends George and Vanghelis.
J.L. Chave is my favorite producer of Hermitage.
Every year produces legendary wines.
This vintage is not an exception.
Ruby in color with a brick rim.
The nose is elegant and full of cassis, grandma room, camphor and violets.
Medium bodied with refreshing acidity and flavors of roasted meats, tar, iodine, black fruits, plums, tobacco and spices (different kinds of pepper).
When consumed with french cheeses, (as Chaumes or Brie), reveals scents and flavors of bee-wax and honey.
Long and discreet finish.
Ready to drink now, but can wait in cellar at least one decade!
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8/1/2011 - markjanes wrote: 90 Points
This wine was not firing on all cylinders, it seemed adolescent and tempermental over the few hours I had it in a decanter. Still fruit driven without the floral iodine that mature Chave always seems to have... texturally with high acidity, a firmish midpalate, unresolved tannins that are certainly not overbearing. Balanced wine with good length, great intensity, ok complexity... finesse to burn in there, firm but fine texture, great expression of place. While I would agree this in not great Chave, it is far, far from being anywhere near its peak if the bottle is in good shape. Put this away for 3-7 and see where it goes next... barely outstanding wine tonight with tons of upside.
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7/24/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Chave Dinner (Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco): A tad lighter than the '98. Gamier and less smoky than that wine. Lighter, more open and resolved, less fruit and more forest floor tones. High acidity makes this a terrific accompaniment for food, but it is fully mature and fading, as opposed to the very young '98.
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12/10/2010 - kingb22 wrote: 93 Points
Very good Chave. Maybe not up to some of the "great" years but always happy to have it at my table.
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12/6/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
i don't appreciate the path this is on. comes off rustic and blunt. i presume others see this as closed, possessing great structure and potential. i predict it's always too angular for my palate.
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12/6/2010 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
G6 (Kevin): Dark garnet color. Blackberry and charred oak nose. Tastes of blackberry, black pepper, cherry, and earth. Very well balanced. Medium bodied. Fine grained tannins. Long elegant finish. 13% alcohol.
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11/6/2010 - fclarity wrote: 91 Points
From an excellent looking bottle purchased upon release, this wine had a fair amount of sediment. It had a deep garnet center with light purple/tan rims. The nose was a bit funky at first but came around nicely after about 2 hours of air to show classic syrah beef blood, iodine, violets, and some provencal herbs.
In the mouth the wine was round with nice flavors that echoed the nose. The tannins were largely resolved but the acidity was strong, making it a nice food wine. While attractive, it was a bit thin and lacked the ripeness and intensity of a great year. It had a nice finish and required 4 hours of air to be at its best. A nice wine but a doubt it will improve morph into a superstar.
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11/5/2010 - paul195 wrote: 91 Points
Deep color, nice spicy red fruit on the nose. Middle weight with fresh fruits, and a hint of smoke. Nice now but needs more time
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10/29/2010 - David Strange wrote:
Wow, Hermitage rarely smells as unmitigatedly beautiful as this; it is remarkably refined, extremely elegant and stupefyingly sophisticated. The fruit it shows is mellow with mature softness, but does not seem in the slightest bit tiring or shagged-out – plenty of life here. The extreme perfumed beauty this exudes makes me want to revel in the nose for hours, but I’ve got to know if the palate lives up to this sensual gorgeousness or if it suffers from ’1996 syndrome’. Hooray! Whilst the acid is certainly vivacious, it is far from being extreme or over-whelming, rather balanced in fact. And it is a gloriously balanced, ravishingly attractive palate of total rapture. It has plenty of fruit, slightly mature in character, and an utterly silky tannic structure with stunning persistence of these complex favours on the finish. Certainly mature, but absolutely no rush to drink this elaborate entity of bewitching brilliance.
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9/21/2010 - robin@robinmeredith.com wrote: 91 Points
Intense, developed aromatics, more floral and feminine than smoky and leathery. A bit less generous on the palate, especially away from food. Marked more by acidity than tannin at this point in its evolution. The acids may soften and integrate a bit more thoroughly with time, but I would keep an eye on this one.
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5/30/2010 - Todd French Likes this wine:
The components are all there, and it is quite obvious that this is a brilliantly made wine, but it's just painfully young. If you must open it, decent for 6 hours or more, at least. The nose changes in the glass over the course of 30-45 minutes (or as long as you can keep it in there), showing alternating components of fruit, leather, meat, pepper, spice. The palate is tight, as is the nose, but even at this young stage, the finish is long and graceful.
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4/24/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Smooth texture, amber edges, sweet cherry and leather. Smooth and easy to drink.
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2/27/2010 - BradKNYC wrote:
TN: Weird and wacky wines at Joe's (Joe's): Like the last bottle I had, it's extremely aromatic. Sasha said he double decanted it a couple of hours before we drank it. The usual suspects are present. Raspberry and cherry fruit, beef blood, some herbalness and spice. The acidity still remains higher than normal, but it's been integrating nicely the last couple of bottles I've had. Fresh, vibrant, focused and yummy. A-.
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11/6/2009 - Vinomarcus wrote: 94 Points
Duck Dinner; 11/5/2009-11/6/2009 (Peter Pratt's Inn): I knew what this wine was, as the person who brought it revealed what he intended to bring last week. It was a big and meaty wine, very deep and full bodied. Still just a baby I think too. It opened wonderfully with air time. It had a slight salinity on the finish that was a bit odd, but it lessened with time in the glass. A very nice wine.
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11/4/2009 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 94 Points
Relatively inexpensive - for Chave, anyway - I guess because it's reputed to be an off-vintage, but there's nothing off about the wine, which is pure Chave Hermitage in every way. Though still a vibrant ruby color it's entered its delicious post-fruit phase of life where the dominant flavor is that inexplicable thing that's distinguished all the Chaves I've had for awhile - meaty but not the bacon-fat of Northern Rhone cliche; instead it's more of a dry-aged succulence combined with a rusty minerality. The absence of fruit should not be mistaken for an absence of material, however, as this is still dense (and packed with character). To be sure, at first it seemed too tannic, which made me wonder whether the vintage was one never destined to come into complete balance, but as it aired out (and, perhaps more importantly, warmed up), come into complete balance it did - totally streamlined and supple. (Kermit Lynch bottle.)
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9/7/2009 - kingb22 wrote: 93 Points
Drunk from a 375ml bottle. Very good bottle of Chave. Very typical - started lighter in color and put on weight over the next few hours. Good red fruit with some pepper.
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8/17/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Deeper color than the ’95 in fact touched by garnet. Muted, somewhat soapy nose that shares the earthy / mineral nature of the ’95. An obvious relationship exists when tasted side by side. This wine, however, is more stew like and vegetal with coffee notes. Less complete and satisfying than the ’95. Acid is elevated and the finish is a bit sherry like. Maybe an awkward stage. (90+?)
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5/9/2009 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
At Wijn Antiq Amsterdam (blind tasting Hermitage). Very nice wine. Good fruit, nice balance and especially very elegant. Different style than the Pavillons (92/97/98) that are more masculine than this wine. Nose has lots of ripe fruit, berries, herbs and creme de cassis. Drink now - until 2020.
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4/20/2009 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
evolved too far
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4/20/2009 - Zweder wrote:
Occasional tasting group: C9duP 1998 - 2001 plus a few extra's. (@ PVa): A lot of brett/barnyard in the bouquet as well as the taste. Soft and juicy. This bottle is at the end of its life. No score.
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12/26/2008 - BradKNYC wrote:
Aye carumba! What a nose! Just in your face and gorgeous, full of beef blood, iron, strawberries, raspberries with spicy and floral hints. As for taste, I’ve always liked, not loved this wine as I find the acidity this vintage to be a wee bit too high for my tastes. However, a bottle I had in San Francisco this past summer showed the wine to have been nicely integrated with the acidity somewhat tamer. This bottle was bit more forceful and less integrated than that one and, once again, I found the acidity just a bit more persnickety for me to fully embrace the wine, though it is indeed very enjoyable. Like flavors as aromas. I’d still wait on these a little longer. A-.
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11/28/2008 - french16 wrote: 91 Points
This Hermitage clearly shows the vintage in the Northern Rhone: high acidity and med concentration. A lot of bacon and smoke with a ton of pure red fruits and violet, it is med body with fresh acidity and lacks a little bit of complexity. Did get better with time though but I don't think this will ever achieve greatness. Long finish
Nevertheless a good and really enjoyable Hermitage.
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9/13/2008 - antiwood wrote:
A pleasant surprise. This dark, somewhat brooding wine stood up nicely to the lineup. Very young and tightly wound. A sense of laser focus and great depth. Beautiful as in the Grosse Fugue, not J. Strauss. My only question is whether there is enough ripeness and quantity of fruit to age with the structure. If so and this unwinds, it will be incredible.
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6/10/2008 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 93 Points
en magnum
A very elegant nose that somehow also manages to have real depth, concentration and power. Powerful palate too. Pretty intense. Mmm, yes, real depth and power here, though somehow it manages to avoid being in any way overblown.
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2/17/2008 - JeffGMorris wrote: 92 Points
Rednecks & Rhones Chave-a-thon. From magnum. Drinking with more upfront fruit and richness than I thought it would. A surprisingly good Chave for drinking now. Doesn't seem to have the structure for long aging that a vintage like the '99 has but a beautiful wine to enjoy while the '99 ages. Both'96s ( Blanc & Rouge ) had much better than expected showings today than I expected. 50+12+13+8.5+8.5 = 92
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12/4/2007 - MNP wrote: 93 Points
Best bottle yet from this case. Tasted along 1996 La La's and not sucking at all. Medium colored with slight fading at the rim. Nose of black pepper and earth. Nice integration of fruit and tannins. In a so so year, a very enjoyable Chave.
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11/30/2007 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Custom House (Custom House): Odd musty slightly hot red black fruit nose. A bit reductive? Pruny black fruit on the palate. Started out disappointing (not just young) but the odd odors blew off with time and the wine really opened up. I would have rated it mid-80s in the first 15-20 minutes. Careful here...
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7/28/2007 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Similar profile to the bottle I tasted in June. White pepper, sappy dark cherries. Great minerality and finesse. A delicious and underrated Chave.
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7/28/2007 - Vinho wrote: 93 Points
"Audozed" por 2 horas e depois decantado por outras 2 horas. Rubi com traços acastanhados, sedimentos finos, quase turvo. Aromas de especiarias, lembrando noz-moscada, pimenta do reino, frutos negros, chá preto, com fumado bem presente. Na boca, marcante sensação de pimenta, seguida por resina e tabaco. Alta acidez, ótima fruta, taninos muito finos. Bom de se beber agora e com potencial para evoluir. Excelente.
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7/15/2007 - Employee500 wrote: 90 Points
Plenty of weight, but with a faint, but offputting, chemical sweetness that reminds me of vitamin flavors (prominent in both chewable one-a-days and in fortified cereals). I've noticed this same smell in the Chave St. Joseph before. Some smoke and blackberry. Should last many years, but not one of my favorites--I prefer the '97 Chave to this (by a lot), actually.
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7/2/2007 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with the Astorettes as we bid good bye to Acky (EU): Whoa, this explodes from the bottle the moment i open it with intense bacon, roast meats and black pepper. We get to this at the end of dinner, served just before the cheese course and by the time the nose has added notes of granite, oolong tea, nilla wafer, ash, dill, and smoked meats. The intensity and purity as well as the complexity in the mouth are fantastic with rich, smoky fruits in classic medium bodied mouthfeel that cannot restrain the flavors, vibrant acidity yet not out of balance coupled with lovely gentle tanins, juicy black raspberry fruit turning a bit more blackberry with time and conveying a sense of bloody, iron richness, the finish is long and retains the fruit of the midpalate with spicy and roasted herbal notes. Compelling stuff and in the context of Chave a steal. For me at least the acidity while high is in balance and the wine closing in on peak drinking. Bravo.
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6/15/2007 - Siggy wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark color. Rich, smoky nose of dark fruit and smoke. Silky and suave, light- to mid-weight in the mouth, with Burgundian sap, mushroom, and forest floor/earth flavors. Elegant and classy. Delicious.
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5/12/2007 - Vinho wrote: 92 Points
Destaca-se um aroma fresco, lembrando mentol, mas também cedro, especiarias, liquirizia e um fumado constante. Na boca é picante, taninos finos, alta acidez, muita fruta e grande persistência. Excelente.
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5/4/2007 - lbosche wrote:
Drunk from half-bottle. A mid-weight Chave that has years of life ahead. This is still primary and has a potent combination of acid, mild tannin and fruit but everything is in balance. It is hard to believe after 11 years that this is still a baby. I am going to try to keep my hands off this for three more years.
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3/31/2007 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 88 Points
Manchester Northern Rhône offline (Market Restaurant, Manchester): 13%
Quite a leathery nose, but very nice, and very bacony. Very smooth and silky on the palate. A very pleasant wine, that might have been better tasted earlier, as I don't find it particularly stunning. Very Good (+)
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1/27/2007 - BradE wrote:
Opened mid-party on a pretty wild night, so no notes, other than it was a pleasurable bottle.
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1/26/2007 - BradKNYC wrote:
Promise unfulfilled- Beaucastel & Chave verticals with Jonathan Dinh. (Park Avenue Cafe.): A favorite Chave among my Burgundy-loving fans who like to talk about its purity, prettiness and focus, which translates into it being under-fruited and high acid. Needless to say, it's not one of my favorite Chaves, but it is an excellent effort for the vintage. The wine shows a decent core of red fruit with a touch of bacon, spice and dried herbs. There's a bit more funk on the nose than appears on the palate. The acidity is extremely high and is the dominant character of the wine and keeps the wine from being too friendly. A solid wine, but to my palate, best with a rich dish. A-/B+.
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12/13/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Spanish Inquisition at Brad England's House: Darker red color than the 1982, but still slightly orange. The nose shows red fruit, mushroom, horse, pepper, and balsamicis, but is not nearly as intense as the more exuberant 1982. As the night wore on the nose almost disappeared. On the palate, the fruit is more concentrated but less expressive than the 1982. The flavor profile is similar -- black fruit, mushroom, and earth. Extremely elegant and well balanced with a long finish. Tasting this side-by-side with the 1982 was enlightening and I would project great things for the 1996 with five or more additional years of bottle age.
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12/13/2006 - Siggy wrote: 95 Points
Weekday Pizza Night at Brad's (Brad's House, Minneapolis): Deep maroon color, with slight amber at the rim. Wow, this is delicious, horsey, and tight. Deep, rich, smoky black fruit. Tons of balsamic/soy. Silky and light in the mouth. Tannic. Huge upside here. It was fascinating to taste this alongside the 1982 Chave. I think the 82 is a better wine... but the 96 will ultimately taste very similar to how the 82 tasted tonight.
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7/18/2006 - Ben Andersen wrote:
Tonight this was considerably more open than my last bottle (in 2000). Quite open aromatically, with game and ash tray elements. Roasted meat and smoke. Medium bodied. Seems close to fully mature.
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7/18/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Dinner at 112 Eatery (Chave, Beaucastel, Pegau, Voge, Donjon, and others): The nose showed red fruit, cigar ash, smoke, and mineral. This is very elegant and mouth coating, showing red fruit, smoke, and a sight earthiness. Maybe a bit tart on the finish. Much more elegant than the Voge. Balanced and finishing with decent length. A nice compact elegant wine.
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4/3/2006 - andeaj wrote: 97 Points
Spectacular on the nose & palate. Dark fruit, earth & spices jump from the glass. Consumed during inaugural tasting room dinner with French friends.
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9/18/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wine tasting. Far better than at another tasting earlier this year. Good black fruit with good spice, but this bottle showed better balance and less dominant tannins. Good length particularly shows good balance. Probably just about approaching its peak drinking window very soon.
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5/14/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Wine tasting. Black fruit on nose with a good deal of earthy elements, hints of pepper. Moderate fruit, but seemingly quite closed for now behind really obtrusive tannins. Probably not a great vintage for Chave, but I'd still hold to 2010 or later to better integrate.
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